NBC

TV News: Cancellation Axe Falls on ‘Dollhouse,’ ‘Eastwick,’ ‘Hank’

BrianTT — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:09:15 -0700

CHICAGO – Blogs everywhere are reporting that FOX has canceled “Dollhouse” and that ABC has canceled “Eastwick” and “Hank”. “Dollhouse” starred Eliza Dushku with “Eastwick” and “Hank” being headlined by Rebecca Romijn-Stamos and Kelsey Grammer, respectively. The series join “Trauma” and “The Beautiful Life” as early fatalities of the new season.

Eliza Dushku in Dollhouse.
Photo credit: FOX

After the surprise second season announcement, FOX officially decided to cancel the Joss Whedon series “Dollhouse”. The series will end once the current 13-episode order is complete. It’s not surprising to hear that “Dollhouse” has been canceled since the show’s ratings have been a big disappoint since the show first premiered.

Thanks to the show’s popular fanbase and decent DVR numbers, the show made it to a second season. The second season ratings, however, have sunk to a new low and the network was forced to end the series.

ABC has decided to cancel two of their Wednesday night shows. First is the Kelsey Grammer comedy series “Hank” and the TV remake drama “Eastwick”. “Eastwick” will continue to air until the already-produced episodes air. As of now, it’s unknown if “Hank” will continue to air episodes since it’s been replaced with specials and other fill-ins for the foreseeable future.

What shows are next? It appears that ABC’s “The Middle”, CBS’s “Three Rivers”, NBC’s “Mercy”, and ABC’s “The Forgotten” are in danger of being canceled next.

By ANGIE RENTMEESTER
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com

TV Review: ‘30 Rock’ Returns With Two Perfect Episodes

BrianTT — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:03:25 -0600

CHICAGO – NBC sent over the first two episodes of the fourth season of the Emmy-winning “30 Rock” and, believe it or not, the show may actually be better than when it left the air last spring. Tonight’s premiere is good but next week’s episode is even better with some of the strongest comedy writing of the year to date and amazing work by the standard cast and one of their most talented regular guest stars, Will Arnett.

Television Rating: 4.5/5.0

Tonight’s episode, the fourth season premiere, is a clever satire of not just the show itself but the entire network. (A show-closing jab at “The Jay Leno Show” is a true gem.) “30 Rock” has never set the ratings on fire, appealing more to critics than actual viewers. It doesn’t really have that big a following or audience. And the season premiere brilliantly and subversively plays off the popularity, or lack thereof, of the show itself.

Tracy Morgan, Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer.
Photo credit: Mary Ellen Mathew/NBC

In the premiere, “Season Four,” Jack (Alec Baldwin) tells Liz (Tina Fey), Tracy (Tracy Morgan), and Jenna (Jane Krakowski) that “TGS” needs to make a few adjustments to become more relatable to the masses. Jenna decides to makeover her image, including a hilarious sports theme song a la the opening number to “Monday Night Football”. Tracy takes to the streets to get in touch with the common man again. Meanwhile, Jack sends Liz and Pete (Scott Adsit) to find a new cast member for the show, something that Tracy and Jenna are not going to take very well. At the same time, Kenneth (Jack McBrayer) leads a hysterical Page strike after accidentally seeing how much Jack makes. Steve Buscemi guest stars.

“Season Four” Episode 401 — Pictured: Jack McBrayer as Kenneth.
Photo credit: Ali Goldstein/NBC

The first episode of the fourth season of “30 Rock” is nearly perfect. Each cast member gets a scene or two to shine and the overall self-awareness is clever without being smug. The show has reached the point that it’s merely comforting to have the characters and the writer’s sense of humor back on the air like later seasons of “Cheers” or “Seinfeld”. The state of comedy on television is simply weaker when “30 Rock” is off the air.

Remarkably, the second episode is even better, standing among the best in the history of the show. “Into the Crevasse” features the return of the great Will Arnett as Devin, plotting revenge against Jack by bringing down GE and him with it. Jenna continues to work against Liz by getting a hilarious acting gig that takes her away from her work on the show and every man in town is angry after the publication of Liz’s book. Kenneth gets a job at an animal shelter.

If it’s possible, and I certainly think it is after a slightly-down third season, “30 Rock” has gotten better in season four. This is the best opening pair of episodes for any season of the show to date with rapid-fire dialogue, unpredictable plot turns, and great performances. There’s a scene between Arnett and Baldwin in the second episode that is one of my favorite of the year to date from any show.

With consecutive wins for Best Comedy Series, it seems likely that the rest of the industry is waiting for “30 Rock” to fall from its pedestal. Based on the excellent fourth season premiere and its even better second episode, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen this year.

‘30 Rock,’ which airs on NBC, stars Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jack McBrayer, Jane Krakowski, Scott Adsit, and Judah Friedlander. Season four premieres on October 15th, 2009 at 8:30PM CST.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

TV News: NBC Cuts Drama ‘Southland’ From Schedule

BrianTT — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:18:40 -0600

CHICAGO – NBC has canceled the John Wells cop drama “Southland” before the show’s second season premiere, which was scheduled to air on Friday, October 23, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Southland
Photo credit: Richard Foreman/NBC

Production on the series has been shut down. As of now, NBC will air “Dateline” in the shows time slot.

The network has six episodes produced and ready to air. It is not known when these six episodes will air, but NBC decided that the network isn’t “financially viable” to keep the show on the air.

“I’m disappointed that NBC no longer has the time periods available to support the kind of critically-acclaimed series that was for so many years, a hallmark of their success,” Wells said. “We remain extremely proud of ‘Southland’ and are actively looking for another home for the series.”

It’s been reported that the show, which stars former “The OC” star Ben McKenzie, will be shopped around to the cable networks, with TNT being a good option for the series.

Based on the low ratings the show got during its first season, this decision shouldn’t be too surprising but it is unusual for a show to be renewed, put back into production, and then canceled before it gets a chance to air in the new season.

The Live Feed posted a quote from Jay Leno, who decided to make light of the situation in his monologue by saying: “NBC’s ratings aren’t so hot. In fact — and this is true — this week the network canceled the show ‘Southland’ before it even came back on the air. Next thing you know they’ll be canceling shows before writers can even think of them.”

By ANGIE RENTMEESTER
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com

DVD Review: Third Season of Emmy-Winning ‘30 Rock’

BrianTT — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:53:22 -0600

CHICAGO – Maybe you’ve heard of a little show called “30 Rock”? It doesn’t set the ratings on fire but critics and award-giving bodies go crazy for it like kids with pixie sticks. Personally, I think the third season of “30 Rock” was a slight step down from the second, but there’s no denying that this is one of the best comedies on television, as its recent major wins at the Emmys proved yet again.

DVD Rating: 4.0/5.0

Sitcom television is always about the ensemble. Think about your favorite comedies. Shows like “Seinfeld,” “Cheers,” “Arrested Development” - they were all amazing group efforts. “30 Rock” is no different. Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Jack McBrayer, Tracy Morgan, and Jane Krakowski may be the five faces peering out the front of the DVD box for the recently released third season, but even they regularly have their scenes stolen by the extended cast, one of the best on television.

Of course, when a whole cast works as well as the gang at “30 Rock,” you have to credit the writers. Headed by the unbelievably talented Tina Fey, the writing on “30 Rock” can be as good as anything on television. I think season three got a little too heavy on guest stars (a regular trick with aging NBC shows…”Will & Grace” was practically “The Love Boat” for the second half of its run it was so heavy on commercial-friendly guests) and I’ve always liked “30 Rock” more when I can relate to Liz, Jack, Kenneth and the rest of the gang.

30 Rock: Season 3” was released on DVD on September 22nd, 2009.
Photo credit: Universal Home Video

Except for the great, recurring Dean Winters (as Dennis) and Elaine Stritch (as Jack’s mom), the show should pull back on stunt casting and guest stars and let the regular stars do their thing. As for the writing, season three occasionally got a little too wacky for its own good. The show works best when the focus is on relatable comedy like Liz going to her high school reunion or Jack going to a retreat not when it’s on Telenovela characters or charity musical numbers.

Having said that, a slightly-down third season of “30 Rock” is still better than most television. If you haven’t caught up with the show, you’re missing one of the most beloved and acclaimed series of the ’00s. And Universal treats the many fans of the show who watch it on DVD well with a very nice three-disc box set. First, some episode highlights from the season to either refresh your memory or give you a preview of what to expect:

“Believe in the Stars” - On a flight back from Chicago, Liz spills her soul to Oprah Winfrey. Meanwhile, Tracy and Jenna butt heads as they try to determine whose life is harder and Jack’s morality is tested by Kenneth after an Olympics snafu.

“Reunion” - Liz is opposed to going to her high school reunion, but Jack manages to convince her otherwise. Meanwhile, Don Geiss (Rip Torn) wakes up from his coma only to shock Jack with his declaration of who will be GE’s CEO.

“Christmas Special” - Liz participates in a charity program to help underprivileged kids celebrate Christmas. Meanwhile, Jack takes his frustration out on the “TGS” staff when his plans for a dream holiday vacation away from his overbearing mother (Elaine Stritch) are crushed.

“Retreat to Move Forward” - Nervous about the corporate retreat, Jack recruits Liz to accompany him for support. Jenna decides to take up method acting to prepare for her Janis Joplin role. Kenneth must convince Tracy that diabetes is affected by his diet.

“Apollo, Apollo” - While Jack plans the perfect 50th birthday party for himself, he watches old home videos that inspire him to recreate one of the happiest moments he had as a young boy. Liz’s ex-boyfriend Dennis (Dean Winters) decides to come clean about an addiction, stirring up drama between Liz and Jenna.

The DVD set for “30 Rock” is a beauty but the original broadcast in HD is stunning, so why can’t I own the show on Blu-Ray? It’s ridiculous that a show this popular and this high-selling on DVD hasn’t made the jump to the next-gen format.

The episodes are presented in 1.78:1 widescreen and accompanied by English Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. Of course, they look and sound good, but a show should be available in at least the same quality it was originally broadcast in, arguably better.

As for bonus features, “30 Rock” includes audio commentary by Tina Fey, Jon Hamm, Alan Alda, Jack McBrayer, Jane Krakowski, and more, deleted scenes, “Behind-the-Scenes with the Muppets,” “1-900-OKFACE,” “The Making of “He Needs a Kidney,” photo gallery, and more.

Come back for our review of the fourth season premiere next week!

‘30 Rock: Season 3’ is released by Universal Home Video and stars Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer, Scott Adsit, and Judah Friedlander. The show was released on September 22nd, 2009. It is not rated and runs 486 minutes.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

TV Review: NBC Delivers Medical Action With Excellent ‘Trauma’

BrianTT — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:07:30 -0600

CHICAGO – The wave of new fall shows is coming to an end this week with so many shows having debuted to date that we’ve already had our first cancellation of the season (The CW’s horrible “The Beautiful Life). But NBC has saved one of the best for last in “Trauma,” an expertly produced and acted series that stands as the most promising of the three new medical series this season and arguably the show with the most long-term potential, period.

Television Rating: 4.0/5.0

Character-driven, ensemble dramas like “Trauma” have been the backbone of television for a very long time. From “Hill Street Blues” to “ER,” viewers like to watch people who go above and beyond but also have everyday problems and insecurities like you and me. We need to see ourselves in these superhuman characters. It is their willingness to do what most people won’t that makes them unique but it is our commonalities that make them interesting. The premiere of “Trauma” has that balance of the everyday and the heroic down in the first episode.

Derek Luke
Photo credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBC

Executive-produced by Peter Berg (who knows a thing or two about the ensemble drama having made NBC’s excellent “Friday Night Lights”), “Trauma” is being sold as the first medical drama series set in the field. These are the men and women who run in the direction of the explosion instead of the other way. When emergencies occur, the team from San Francisco City Hospital are immediately on the clock, knowing that every second counst when it comes to saving lives.

The opening sequence of tonight’s premiere of “Trauma” is a stunner, featuring an adrenalin-pumping helicopter crash that rivals most action sequences currently playing at the multiplex (it’s certainly more well-done than anything in “Surrogates”).

The copter crash sets the stage for some serious psychological scars by a few of the lead characters on “Trauma,” which includes pilot Reuben “Rabbit” Palchuk (Cliff Curtis), paramedic Cameron Boone (Derek Luke), paramadic Nancy Carnahan (Anastasia Griffith), rookie pilot Marisa Benez (Aimee Garcia), rookie EMT Glenn Morris (Taylor Kinney), and Dr. Joe Saviano (Jamey Sheridan).

Being on a trauma team in a major city has to be one of the most stressful jobs in the world. When you lose someone because you couldn’t get there fast enough, how do you let that go? Even on a successful day, one where you save a child’s life, how do you not take home the emotional baggage of that to your own family? It is a job with nothing bug massive highs and the lowest lows - saving lives or losing them. And “Trauma” captures that perfectly.

Anastasia Griffith
Photo credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBC

The writing and production are very good but the cast of “Trauma” is what truly stands out after episode one. I like the team on “FlashForward” and “Glee” is its own special kind of awesome, but “Trauma” may have the best ensemble of any new show. Curtis and Luke have been great in film for years and bring the same intensity they have on the big screen to the small one. And Griffith takes a plot arc in the first episode that could have been melodramatic and makes it genuine. Let’s hope she’s a breakout star of the season.

Ultimately, the most frustrating thing about “Trauma” is that it’s on a network that has made it clear that they don’t care about shows like “Trauma” any more. The network that brought us “L.A. Law,” “St. Elsewhere,” and “Hill Street Blues” has given up five hours a week of scripted programming to a talk show host (“The Jay Leno Show”). Many TV writers have already made it clear that if NBC is done with them, they’re done with the network. And yet here’s “Trauma,” one of the most well-written shows of the season.

I’m worried that if “Trauma” takes time to find an audience than the network that clearly doesn’t care about writing will be quick to pull the plug. Then again, if the Leno experiment doesn’t work maybe they’ll be more forgiving and switch the focus back to shows like this one. “Trauma” is proof that adult, character-driven dramas are still worth the effort. Who would have guessed that would have been proven on NBC?

‘Trauma,’ which airs on NBC, stars MCliff Curtis, Derek Luke, Anastasia Griffith, Aimee Garcia, Taylor Kinney, and Jamey Sheridan. It was created by Dario Scardapane. The series premiere airs on Monday, September 28th, 2009 at 8PM CST.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

DVD, TV Review: ‘Parks and Recreation’ Delivers on Early Promise With Great Premiere

BrianTT — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:35:02 -0600

CHICAGO – Improving with every episode of its short first season, now available on DVD, “Parks and Recreation” returns tonight with the best episode of comedy in tonight’s much-hyped cavalcade of premieres. Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Paul Schneider, and the rest of the cast and writers of “Parks and Recreation” are doing everything they can to turn their comedy into the next NBC must-see show. Do your part and tune in.

Television Rating: 4.0/5.0

DVD Rating: 4.5/5.0

Very few comedies come out of the gate without a few flaws. The first month of “30 Rock” didn’t have nearly the comic timing that made the third season an Emmy darling. It takes time to develop pacing, comic chemistry, and characters that the audience care about. Watching the first season of “Parks and Recreation,” you can see those essential ingredients start to click by roughly episode four, “Boys Club”.

Parks and Recreation
Photo credit: Universal

What happened by episode four? The team behind “Parks and Recreation” found the heart of the show. Just as Michael Scott on “The Office” needs to be more than a drooling moron and Jim and Pam bring a necessary emotional, relatable core to that hit show, “Parks and Recreation” suffered at the start for a lack of characters worth caring about. Not any more.

Poehler stars as Leslie Knope, an ambitious and hopeful small-town government worker in Pawnee, Indiana who dreams big but lives small. Most of the first season centered around Leslie’s attempts to turn an abandoned construction site into a park after meeting the lovely local nurse Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones) and her moronic boyfriend (Chris Pratt).

Like “The Office” set in the world of small-town politics instead of paper production, “Parks and Recreation” features a cast of unusual workplace characters including Leslie’s odd colleague Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari), gruff boss Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman), and a cute city planner named Mark (Paul Schneider).

“Parks and Recreation” features the same dry wit, workplace humor, and awkward pauses of “The Office,” but it started to develop its own identity over the course of the first season and opens the second one truly feeling like its own series.

Parks and Recreation
Photo credit: Dean Hendler/FOX

Written by Norm Hiscock and directed by the great Paul Feig, the premiere of “Parks and Recreation” is the best episode of the series to date, entitled “Pawnee Zoo”. In a series of publicity events for the local zoo, Leslie decides that she’ll stage a wedding for a pair of penguins after hearing that they mate for life. The small problem is that the two penguins at the local zoo happen to both be male and Leslie becomes the local poster child for gay marriage. Celebrated at the local gay bar The Bulge (which features a hilarious dance scene with Leslie) and asked to resign by the conservatives in town, Leslie is stuck in an awkward situation. Meanwhile, Ann faces an uncomfortable decision after Mark asks her on a date.

It feels like the renewal of “Parks and Recreation” has reinvigorated the writers and actors on the show. Next week’s episode, “The Stakeout,” directed by the great Seth Gordon, is just as good as the premiere and arguably even funnier.

Parks and Recreation
Photo credit: Dean Hendler/FOX

Poehler’s timing has never been better than it is in the premiere and the supporting cast is becoming more likable every single week. It’s way too early to say that “Parks and Recreation” is the best show on Thursday nights, especially with the great “The Office” and “30 Rock” in the conversation, but it’s much closer to those already-classic comedies than anyone thought it would be after the premiere. Much like Leslie Knope, “Parks and Recreation” could surprise you.

Very surprising is the excellent season one DVD, which includes commentaries and deleted scenes on every single episode, along with an extended cut of the season finale.

Commentary participants on season one include creators Greg Daniels & Micke Schur, Rashida Jones, Nick Offerman, Paul Schneider, Chris Pratt, Amy Poehler, and more.

Check out the season two premiere and then go back and catch up with life in Pawnee. Not only will you see a few very good episodes but you’ll see the development of a series from good to great.

The second season premiere of ‘Parks and Recreation,’ which airs on NBC, stars Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Paul Schneider, Aziz Ansari, Aubrey Plaza, and Nick Offerman. The show was created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur. The series returns on Thursday, September 17th, 2009 at 7:30PM CST.

‘Parks and Recreation: Season One’ is released by Universal Home Video and stars Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Paul Schneider, Aziz Ansari, Aubrey Plaza, and Nick Offerman. The show was created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur. It was released on September 8th, 2009. It is not rated.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-Ray Review: Season Three of ‘Heroes’ Designed to Please Fans

BrianTT — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:19:53 -0600

CHICAGO – I’m one of many fans burned by the fizzling out of “Heroes,” a show that started incredibly strong and went from “must-see” to “meh” in just a few seasons. Despite the show’s overall dip in quality, the Blu-Ray releases have been heralded as leaders in the format, filled with special features designed to please hardcore fans. But special features are only one part of a Blu-Ray set and “Heroes: Season Three” falls short in all others.

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.0/5.0

The Universal-produced set includes all 25 episodes from the season three volumes of “Heroes,” “Villains” and “Fugitives”. After the disappointing second season of “Heroes,” fans were excited to see how the once-clever show could return to form with a reportedly reinvigorated writing crew who publicly acknowledged the failures of season two. To this viewer, season three is just more of the same with cluttered storytelling, characters that we stopped caring about years ago, and ridiculous twists.

Having said that, I can still step back and tell the hardcore “Heroes” fans out there that the special features on the third season Blu-Ray are undeniably great. It’s nice to see a studio design a Blu-Ray release to honestly please a show’s devoted fans. Universal could have simply included the episodes and nothing more and most “Heroes” nuts would have bought the third season set. They went above and beyond.

Heroes: Season Three was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on September 1st, 2009.
Photo credit: Universal Home Video

How so? The third season set includes hours of special features, many of them presented using Universal’s spectacular U-Control, a functionality that allows viewers to see behind-the-scenes details while the show plays. U-Control is used in two ways on “Heroes,” allowing for people to view cast & crew commentaries on an episode or to see bios of the characters as they appear on-screen in a function called “Hero Connections”. Both the commentaries and bios are the kind of special features that enhance an episode of a show like “Heroes” instead of just serving as filler.

But they’re just the beginning. All five discs include deleted scenes and “Hero Connections - Network” with other special features, disc by disc:

Disc One: “The Super Powers of “Heroes””
Disc Two: “Completing the Scene,” “Alternate Stories,” and “Pinehearst Commercial”
Disc Three: “The Prop Box” and “Tim Sale Gallery of Screen Art”
Disc Four: “Genetics of a Scene”
Disc Five: “The Writers’ Forum” and “Building Coyote Sands”

As for the episodes themselves, they certainly sound great but the HD transfer is undeniably disappointing when compared to other TV on Blu-Ray or the show’s original HD broadcast on NBC. Daylight scenes look great but the more darkly-lit scenes have come out murky, grainy, and with a noticeable loss of detail. Some of the grain is clearly intentional, but I’ve seen a majority of the episodes when they originally aired and the show looked more well-defined in its original HD broadcast.

A lot of viewers may have jumped ship (the average ratings for season three - 7.6 million viewers - were nearly half that of season one - 13.86 million viewers) but there are clearly still loyal, devoted “Heroes” fans. Enough that NBC saw fit to renew the show and bring it back for season four starting Monday, September 21st, 2009. Maybe there’s still enough fire burning in the world of “Heroes” that the show could be the water-cooler hit it was in season one once again and the care put into releases like this one is helping to keep the flame from going out.

‘Heroes: Season Three’ is released by Universal Home Video and stars Zachary Quinto, Hayden Panettiere, Masi Oka, Ali Larter, Jack Coleman, Greg Grunberg, Adrian Pasdar, Sendhil Ramamurthy, and Milo Ventimgilia. It was created by Tim Kring. The third season was released on September 1st, 2009. It is not rated and runs 1,072 minutes.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

NBC Fall 2009 Premiere Dates Including ‘The Office,’ ‘30 Rock,’ ‘Heroes,’ More

BrianTT — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:04:19 -0600

CHICAGO – NBC has announced their fall premiere dates and it all kicks off with the highly anticipated premiere of “The Jay Leno Show” at 9pm CT on Monday, September 14th. The network has scheduled two new dramas - “Mercy” & “Trauma” - and one new comedy - “Community”.

“The Jay Leno Show” will begin its nightly rotation on the 14th, joined by a two-hour premiere of “The Biggest Loser” on the next night, September 15th, 2009. Tuesday nights will be all reality TV on NBC.

The network’s most critically-acclaimed night returns on September 17th, 2009 when the network kicks off its Thursday night lineup with “Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday,” followed by “Parks and Recreation,” “The Office,” and “Community”. “30 Rock” premieres on October 15th, at which point “SNL” will leave the schedule and “Community” will kick off the night, leaving “30 Rock” in its traditional timeslot.

Community
Photo credit: Mitchel Haaseth/NBC

Monday, September 21st sees the premiere of the fourth season of “Heroes” with a two-hour episode.

The new medical drama “Mercy” debuts on Wednesday, September 23rd at 7pm followed by “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” which begins its eleventh season.

On Friday, September 25th, “Law & Order” returns for a 20th season, followed by the sophomore drama “Southland”.

Saturdays will consist of “Dateline NBC” and encore presentations of a new drama and “Law & Order: SVU”.

Sundays are reserved for football, starting on September 13th.

Monday, September 28th, “Heroes” is back to its normal one-hour size and “Trauma” debuts in the slot between Sylar and Jay Leno.

NBC Fall 2009 Schedule
Sunday, September 13th - “Football Night in America” & “NBC Sunday Night Football”
Monday, September 14th - “The Jay Leno Show”
Tuesday, September 15th - “The Biggest Loser”
Thursday, September 17th - “Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday,” “Parks and Recreation,” “The Office,” & “Community”
Monday, September 21st - “Heroes”
Wednesday, September 23rd - “Mercy” & “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”
Friday, September 25th - “Law & Order” & “Southland”
Saturday, September 26th - “Dateline NBC” & “Saturday Night Live”
Sunday, September 28th - “Trauma”
Thursday, October 15th - “30 Rock”

Read our full review of the 2009 “Trauma” premiere!
Read our full review of the season-six 2009 “The Office” premiere!
Read our full review of the season-two 2009 “Parks and Recreation” premiere!
Read our full review of the “Community” premiere!

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

TV Review: Audiences Unlikely to Hear NBC’s ‘The Listener’

BrianTT — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:39:48 -0600

CHICAGO – Toby Logan (Craig Olejnik) is a 25-year-old paramedic who can hear other people’s thoughts. The telepath is the lead character on NBC’s frustrating new “The Listener,” a show that the network is clearly burning off this summer and that I don’t need psychic powers to predict won’t be on the schedule for too long.

Television Rating: 2.0/5.0

This CTV-developed show has a decent premise and talented supporting cast, but it’s such two-dimensional, generic material that it ends up feeling more like a syndicated action series that you would see on a Saturday afternoon. There’s nothing horrendously wrong with “The Listener” but it pales in comparison to recent dramatic occupants of the same night and network - “ER” and “Southland”.

The Listener
Photo credit: Steve Wilkie

Unlike fellow TV telepath Sookie Stackhouse of “True Blood,” Toby has kept his ability secret from everyone but his long-time mentor, Dr. Ray Mercer (the great but underused Colm Feore, recently seen on “24”). Every week, Toby goes on rounds with his partner “Oz” Bey (Ennis Esmer) and tries to unravel the truth about his own mysterious past.

In the premiere, Toby and Oz save a girl from a car wreck and when asked about if she was alone, Toby sees visions of a child and knows that she’s lying. He also sensed the car wreck before it happened, breaking the usual pattern of his having to reach out to people to hear their thoughts. Toby’s abilities are changing.

Two sexy supporting characters - a detective named Charlie Marks (Lisa Marcos) and an ex-girlfriend who also happens to be an E.R. doctor named Olivia Fawcett (Mylene Dinh-Robic) - flesh out the ensemble.

The big problem with “The Listener” is that unlike “True Blood,” creator Michael Amo takes his concept way too seriously. If you’re going to have your lead say “It’s not a movie, it doesn’t happen that way” before the opening credits even run then you better back it up with believable material after that. A show about a telepathic paramedic only has a chance to work if it recognizes its B-movie set-up but “The Listener” plays like a very special episode of “ER”.

To be fair, the premiere “The Listener” is never boring. It flies by but only because so much plot and melodrama is crammed into one episode. It’s a well-made hour of television without any particularly bad performances, although the overly earnest Olejnik is a little dull to carry his own show.

The Listener
Photo credit: Steve Wilkie

Ultimately, the downfall of “The Listener” is what makes or breaks nearly all television shows - the writing. Television drama has advanced past the point of shallow dialogue like you’ll hear in “The Listener”. Honestly, the show reminded me of B-grade programming I used to watch as a kid and with the advancements in television writing that’s not a compliment. One of the more unusual writing choices is to have Toby’s telepathy play like completely realized memories, as if every time he tries to read someone’s mind they are remembering exactly what he needs to know.

I’m also dead tired of shows using kids in jeopardy to pull at heartstrings and with its mystery-of-the-week and flashbacks to Toby’s past, “The Listener” double dips in the overused device. It’s easy, manipulative writing and audiences should see through it by now.

This fall, NBC will give up five hours a week of “The Jay Leno Show”. Like most critics, I’m opposed to the idea of losing that much scripted programming when so much has already been lost to the reality TV craze already. However, if “The Listener” is all the peacock has to offer, maybe Jay isn’t that bad an alternative.

‘The Listener,’ which airs on NBC, stars Craig Olejnik, Colm Feore, Ennis Esmer, Lisa Marcos, and Mylene Dinh-Robic. The premiere airs on June 4th, 2009 at 8PM CST.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

NBC Shakes Up Schedule With Six New Scripted Series

BrianTT — Tue, 05 May 2009 09:36:01 -0600

CHICAGO – NBC held a special “in-front” announcement yesterday, two weeks in front of the standard upfront presentations and revealed six news series for the fall while leaving some beloved programs up in the air. On the bubble shows “Southland” and “Heroes” were renewed, but the jury is still out on “Chuck,” “Medium,” “Law & Order,” and “My Name is Earl”.

Of course, the focus of the peacock network in yesterday’s presentation was on “The Jay Leno Show,” which will air five nights a week in primetime, reducing time slots for new and returning programming. Consequently, if your favorite show doesn’t make it to the fall, blame Jay.

The NBC event did not unveil the actual complete schedule, just making a few announcements about new programming, so there are still a few question marks about some of its bubble shows but struggling “Southland,” “Heroes,” and “Parks and Recreation” did get the reprieve for the fall. They said they would decide soon on the other four.

Southland
Photo credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBC

With six new shows and half of the bubble programs already returning, along with five hours of programming gone to Leno, one has to wonder where all the shows will go. Don’t expect all four bubble shows to come back. Industry insiders are placing bets on “Chuck” and “Medium,” with the latter probably returning mid-season. Yes, this means that the original “Law & Order” may finally be done. However, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” has already been renewed.

Even though they touted six new shows, only three will premiere in the fall with the others serving both as mid-season replacements but also clearly as back-up in case “The Jay Leno Show” bombs.

Chuck
Photo credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBC

We did find out a bit about the schedule. “Heroes” stays put on Mondays with a new show between it and Leno. “The Biggest Loser” kicks off Tuesdays and could be two hours long or launch new programming in between. “SVU” is probably going to be on Wednesdays with another drama. Thursdays will stay largely unchanged unless a new comedy replaces the faltering “My Name is Earl”. Finally, two reality shows will precede Leno on Fridays. Woohoo.

“SVU” may have been renewed but the return of its stars is still in question with negotiations still ongoing with stars Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay. Marc Graboff, co-chariman of NBC Entertainment and Universal Music Studios said to the LA Times, “Our offer is on the table and we hope they accept it. The show’s coming back with or without them.”

Official NBC renewals include “Southland,” “Heroes,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Parks and Recreation,” “30 Rock,” “The Office,” “The Biggest Loser,” “Friday Night Lights,” “Celebrity Apprentice,” and “Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update Thursday,” which will return for six episodes.

Official NBC cancellations tragically include the underrated “Life”. Also gone are some of the more lackluster new shows of the last few years including “Lipstick Jungle,” “Kath & Kim,” “Knight Rider,” “Kings,” “My Own Worst Enemy,” and “Crusoe”.

Official descriptions of the new NBC programming, courtesy of Mediaweek:

Day One
Photo credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBC

DRAMA

“Mercy”
The daily events inside a hospital are seen through the eyes of three nurses. Taylor Schilling (Dark Matter), Jamie Lee Kirchner (Rescue Me) and Michelle Trachtenberg (Buffy, the Vampire Slayer) star.

“Parenthood”
Based on the 1989 Ron Howard theatrical, four grown siblings share the “headaches, heartaches and joy” of being parents. Peter Krause, Maria Tierney and former Coach star Craig T. Nelson lead the ensemble cast. (Footnote: Parenthood, a failed half-hour comedic version of the movie aired briefly on NBC in the fall of 1990).

“Trauma”
First responder paramedics are the focus of this medical drama set in San Francisco. Derek Luke (Notorious), Cliff Curtis (10,000 B.C.), Anastasia Griffith (Damages) and Jamey Sheridan (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) star.

“Day One”
A diversified group of survivors strive to rebuild society after a global catastrophe has devastated the world. The cast includes Adam Campbell (Date Movie), Catherine Dent (The Shield), Julie Gonzalo (Eli Stone), Carly Pope (24) and Addison Timlin (Cashmere Mafia).

Community
Photo credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBC

COMEDY

“100 Questions”
A woman (Sophie Winkleman) looking for love joins an online dating site and revisits various times in her life as she takes a 100-question compatibility test. Directed by Emmy winner James Burroughs (Cheers, Will & Grace).

“Community”
A band of misfits is the focus of life at fictional Greendale Community College. Chevy Chase and Joel McHale (The Soup) star.

NON-SCRIPTED

“The Jay Leno Show”
The soon-to-be former host of The Tonight Show heads to prime-time in a nightly hour featuring comedy skits, big stunts and well-known segments like “Headlines” and “Jaywalking.”

“The Marriage Ref”
Comedy Legend Jerry Seinfeld is the creator and producer of this non-scripted look at marriage as celebrities, comedians and sports stars decide who is right…and who is wrong…in real-life disputes between real-life spouses.

“Breakthrough With Tony Robbins”
Best-selling author and philanthropist Tony Robbins attempts to inspire people to search out the tools to forever change their lives.

“Who Do You Think You Are?”
A different celebrity each week embarks on a journey of self discovery, revealing stories that are often linked to events in American history.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com