Network suits spend weeks, if not months, agonizing over which shows will go where on their fall schedules. But by 2010, according to the consulting firm the Yankee Group, 48 million American homes will have DVRs, which allow viewers to watch shows they’ve recorded whenever they choose. And then there are options such as online streaming, on-demand viewing and buying episodes via iTunes, all of which have exploded in the past couple of years.
So, grids such as this one — are they a thing of the past? Maybe someday soon, but not quite yet.
“Before someone wants to put a show on their season-pass list, there’s a certain critical mass a show has to get,” says Kelly Kahl, executive vice president of scheduling for CBS. “I still think we have a job to do, which is help figure out how we can get the most people aware of a show.”
But given the media choices out there, the networks have buckled down and seriously improved the quality of their shows; this fall’s especially laden with intriguing choices. We, fellow viewers, are the beneficiaries of that. Now, on with the shows!
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Sunday
TIME: 6:00
ABC: AMERICA’S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS (OCT. 1)
CBS: 60 MINUTES (SEPT. 24)
NBC: FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA (PREVIEWS SEPT. 7)
FOX: (NFL CONTINUED FROM EARLIER IN THE DAY OR COMEDY ENCORES)
CW: EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS (OCT. 1)
TIME: 6:30
CW: ALL OF US (OCT. 1)
TIME: 7:00
ABC: EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION (SEPT. 24)
CBS: THE AMAZING RACE (SEPT. 17)
NBC: SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL (PREVIEWS SEPT. 7)
FOX: THE SIMPSONS (SEPT. 10)
CW: GIRLFRIENDS (OCT. 1)
TIME: 7:30
FOX: AMERICAN DAD (SEPT. 10)
CW: THE GAME (OCT.1)
TIME: 8:00
ABC: DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (SEPT. 24)
CBS: COLD CASE (SEPT. 24)
FOX: FAMILY GUY (SEPT. 10)
CW: AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL (ENCORES)
TIME: 8:30
FOX: THE WAR AT HOME (SEPT. 10)
TIME: 9:00
ABC: BROTHERS & SISTERS (SEPT. 24)
CBS: WITHOUT A TRACE (SEPT. 24)
FOX: LOCAL PROGRAMS
CW: LOCAL PROGRAMS
Two huge developments affect the Sunday lineup: NBC now has a football franchise, and ABC has sent “Grey’s Anatomy” from its comfortable post-“Desperate Housewives” perch to shore up its new Thursday lineup. In “Grey’s” spot, ABC will unveil the high-profile drama “Brothers and Sisters.” CBS has shaken up its Sunday lineup as well, jettisoning TV movies and pairing two of its finest procedurals, “Cold Case” and “Without a Trace.”
NEW DRAMA
“Brothers and Sisters,” (ABC): There’s certainly a lot of high-profile talent behind this family drama, including playwright Jon Robin Baitz and actors Rachel Griffiths, Calista Flockhart, Patricia Wettig, Ron Rifkin and — in a late addition to the cast — Sally Field. Whether all that will translate into something worth watching remains to be seen — due to reshooting, the pilot wasn’t available at press time. Let’s hope the marquee cast means we should expect great things.
NEW COMEDY
“The Game,” (CW): When UPN merged with the WB to form the new CW network, many of its urban comedies — including “Eve” and “Half and Half” — didn’t make the cut. Now, instead of two nights on UPN, urban comedies get one pared-down night on the CW. “The Game” is a look at the lives of the wives of NFL players, and at first glance it’s not really a game worth playing.
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Monday
TIME: 7:00
ABC: WIFE SWAP (SEPT. 18)
CBS: THE CLASS (SEPT. 18)
NBC: DEAL OR NO DEAL (SEPT. 18)
FOX: PRISON BREAK (AUG. 21)
CW: SEVENTH HEAVEN (SEPT. 25)
TIME: 7:30
CBS: HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (SEPT. 18)
TIME: 8:00
ABC: THE BACHELOR (OCT. 2)
CBS: TWO AND A HALF MEN (SEPT. 18)
NBC: HEROES (SEPT. 25)
FOX: VANISHED (AUG. 21)
CW: RUNAWAY (SEPT. 25)
TIME: 8:30
CBS: THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE (SEPT. 18)
TIME: 9:00
ABC: WHAT ABOUT BRIAN (OCT. 9)
CBS: C.S.I. MIAMI (SEPT. 18)
NBC: STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP (SEPT. 18)
FOX: LOCAL PROGRAMS
CW: LOCAL PROGRAMS
The big change here is the disappearance of the longtime ABC stalwart “Monday Night Football,” which still airs on Mondays but moves to ESPN. ABC’s attempt to establish a beachhead on this night looks tentative at best, but NBC has scheduled its signature new drama for fall, “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.” The good news: It’s a great show with strong buzz. The bad news: It’s going up against CBS’ inexplicably popular “CSI: Miami.”
NEW DRAMAS
“Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” (NBC): The most buzzed-about pilot for fall actually, in this writer’s opinion, lives up to the hype. Set behind the scenes at a show very much like “Saturday Night Live,” the latest drama from the pen of Aaron Sorkin is not just a showcase for the scribe’s natural TV-writing gifts, but it provides Matthew Perry with the opportunity to give an absolutely stellar performance.
“Vanished,” (Fox): Working from the successful model of other Fox shows such as “24” and “Prison Break,” which are both densely plotted, time-sensitive thrillers, “Vanished” concerns what happens after a senator’s wife goes missing. The pilot is workmanlike at best (NBC’s well-executed “Kidnapped” is lots better).
“Heroes,” (NBC): In a bid to attract comic book-loving fans, not to mention the obsessive types who love to get lost in “Lost’s” minutiae, NBC unveils a moody superhero-flavored drama, in which regular folks (including, naturally, a cheerleader and a stripper) find out they have amazing powers. It’s a dark, serialized, genre-flavored drama — in a season full of shows just like that. Will the deliberately paced “Heroes” have enough superpowers to stay alive?
“Runaway,” (CW): In the new CW network’s only new scripted drama, Donnie Wahlberg stars as a man unjustly accused of a crime who must take his family on the lam to protect it from the law.
NEW COMEDY
“The Class,” (CBS): Jason Ritter stars in this sitcom about a group of former grade schoolers now in their 20s who are brought together for an impromptu reunion. The pilot for this show is no home run, which is a shame — the terrific “How I Met Your Mother” could use a strong lead-in.
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Tuesday
TIME: 7:00
ABC: DANCING WITH THE STARS (SEPT. 12)
CBS: N.C.I.S. (SEPT. 19)
NBC: FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (OCT. 3)
FOX: HOUSE (SEPT. 5)
CW: GILMORE GIRLS (SEPT. 26)
TIME: 8:00
ABC: THE KNIGHTS OF PROSPERITY (OCT. 17)
CBS: THE UNIT (SEPT. 19)
NBC: LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT (SEPT. 19)
FOX: STANDOFF (SEPT. 5)
CW: VERONICA MARS (OCT. 3)
TIME: 8:30
ABC: HELP ME HELP YOU (SEPT. 26)
TIME: 9:00
ABC: BOSTON LEGAL (SEPT. 19)
CBS: SMITH (SEPT. 19)
NBC: LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT (SEPT. 19)
FOX: LOCAL PROGRAMS
CW: LOCAL PROGRAMS
Tuesday, which has become nearly as crowded with good shows as Thursday in recent years, becomes even more of a battleground this fall. The fledgling CW network has made a solid block of entertainment from its two most acclaimed shows, “Gilmore Girls” and “Veronica Mars,” but those cult-ish shows go up against very credible lineups from CBS, Fox and even NBC. NBC? Believe it. The Peacock network’s tantalizing new football drama “Friday Night Lights” may crash and burn against the formidable “House” and “NCIS,” but one suspects the compelling “Lights” won’t go down without launching a few Hail Mary passes.
NEW DRAMAS
“Friday Night Lights,” (NBC): Can “Lights,” another adaptation of H.G. Bissinger’s great 1990 book, sustain the big-game excitement of the pilot for an entire season? Will the appealing Kyle Chandler grow into his role as a magnetic Texas high school football coach? It all remains to be seen, but, to mix metaphors a bit, it’s great to see NBC swinging for the fences with this kind of well-crafted fare.
“Smith,” (CBS): Ray Liotta stars as the head of a crew of high-tech, big-time thieves. The drama is made with the sturdy, watchable quality of any CBS one-hour show, but is this relatively amoral crime caper too dark for the network’s viewers?
“Standoff,” (Fox): Yes, there is a law that new network dramas must have one-word titles. This one concerns a bickering pair of law-enforcement types who excel at hostage negotiations and the like — if only they could get along with each other! Insert mirthless chuckle here. Ron Livingston (“Sex and the City”), who plays one of the negotiators, and Gina Torres (“Firefly”), who plays the boss of the bickering couple, are always appealing, but here’s some free advice for Fox: If you’re going to copy a network drama, aim higher than “Bones.”
NEW COMEDIES
“The Knights of Prosperity,” (ABC): In fall’s quirkiest comedy, a gang of misfits attempts to rob Mick Jagger’s luxury New York apartment. Yes, Mick makes a cameo, and there’s a certain charm about this good-naturedly silly show, even if it may need some time to completely jell.
“Help Me Help You,” (ABC): This weird comedy, which stars Ted Danson as a shrink helping an odd assortment of patients, doesn’t exactly feature wall-to-wall laughs. Still, anything’s better than another “According to Jim,” right?
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Wednesday
TIME: 7:00
ABC: DANCING WITH THE STARS RESULTS SHOW
CBS: JERICHO (SEPT. 20)
NBC: 20 GOOD YEARS (OCT. 4)
FOX: BONES (AUG. 30)
CW: AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL (SEPT. 20)
TIME: 7:30
NBC: 30 ROCK (OCT. 11)
TIME: 8:00
ABC: LOST (OCT. 4); DAY BREAK (NOV. 15)
CBS: CRIMINAL MINDS (SEPT. 20)
NBC: THE BIGGEST LOSER (SEPT. 20)
FOX: JUSTICE (AUG. 30)
CW: ONE TREE HILL (SEPT. 27)
TIME: 9:00
ABC: THE NINE (OCT. 4)
CBS: C.S.I.: NEW YORK (SEPT. 20)
NBC: KIDNAPPED (SEPT. 20)
FOX: LOCAL PROGRAMS
CW: LOCAL PROGRAMS
Get out your dance card. You’re going to need it to keep track of all the new shows on Wednesday. ABC, purveyor of “Dancing With the Stars,” is offering a two-for-one special in the 8 p.m. slot (“Lost” will air for six or seven weeks, then its slot will be taken over for three months by “Day Break”; the island drama returns in the new year). ABC also unveils a strong new serialized thriller at, “The Nine.” Not to be outdone, NBC weighs in with new comedies and a contender for best new fall show, “Kidnapped.”
NEW DRAMAS
“The Nine,” (ABC): It’s not quite up there with Season 1 of “Lost” (what is, really?) but “The Nine” is one very engaging ensemble drama with plenty of tension and character development. Nine folks go into a bank to do their jobs or to deposit their paychecks, and they don’t come out again thanks to a robbery that turns into a 50-hour hostage drama. Viewers will find out over the course of the season how this crime affects the people involved.
“Day Break,” (ABC): Taye Diggs (“Kevin Hill”) stars in a show he insists is not a TV version of “Groundhog Day.” Still, the comparisons are understandable, because Diggs plays a man who goes from cop to accused killer all in a day, and he must relive that very bad day until he figures out who has framed him.
“Jericho,” (CBS): After a series of ominous events, including the sight of a mushroom cloud on the horizon, residents of a town in Kansas find themselves cut off from communication with the rest of the country, and weird things begin to happen. It’s creepy stuff, and viewers feeling burned by the axing of “Threshold” and “Invasion” may stay away.
“Kidnapped,” (NBC): Could NBC be on an upswing? For real this time? Unlike the last few seasons, the network has rolled out a bunch of very good drama pilots this year. Why that is, I’m not really sure, but I’ll take the good stuff over another “E-Ring” any day. In any case, “Kidnapped” is a flawlessly executed thriller, in which Timothy Hutton and Dana Delany are the wealthy parents of a kidnapped teen. They use both the police and a private negotiator (Jeremy Sisto from “Six Feet Under,” in fine form) to try to get their son back. The pilot of this stylish show is a crackling good ride, and I’m eager to see more.
“Justice,” (Fox): The difference between this and CBS’ new legal drama “Shark” is that . . . CBS could afford James Woods. Still, “Justice,” which stars “Alias” spy daddy Victor Garber and comes from the Jerry Bruckheimer TV factory, is a competently made show about a high-powered set of L.A. trial lawyers.
NEW COMEDIES
“20 Good Years,” (NBC): How could NBC take two great comic veterans, the droll Jeffrey Tambor (“Arrested Development”) and that cheeky hambone, John Lithgow, and stick them in this uninspired vehicle about a couple of older gents who want to live their last couple of decades to the fullest? Twenty good jokes would be nice, but no dice.
“30 Rock,” (NBC): Tina Fey’s comedy has its good points (chief among them: Alec Baldwin), but “Rock’s” future may be hampered by the inevitable comparisons between “Rock” and Aaron Sorkin’s “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” which is an entirely different beast but also is set backstage at a sketch-comedy show.
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Thursday
TIME: 7:00
ABC: UGLY BETTY (SEPT. 28)
CBS: SURVIVOR: COOK ISLANDS (SEPT. 14)
NBC: MY NAME IS EARL (SEPT. 21)
FOX: ‘TIL DEATH (SEPT. 7)
CW: SMALLVILLE (SEPT. 28)
TIME: 7:30
NBC: THE OFFICE (SEPT. 21)
FOX: HAPPY HOUR (SEPT. 7)
TIME: 8:00
ABC: GREY’S ANATOMY (SEPT. 21)
CBS: C.S.I. (SEPT. 21)
NBC: DEAL OR NO DEAL (SEPT. 18)
FOX: CELEBRITY DUETS (AUG. 29); THE O.C. (NOV. 2)
CW: SUPERNATURAL (SEPT. 28)
TIME: 9:00
ABC: SIX DEGREES (SEPT. 21)
CBS: SHARK (SEPT. 21)
NBC: ER (SEPT. 21)
FOX: LOCAL PROGRAMS
CW: LOCAL PROGRAMS
You think Thursday nights were crowded before? Now ABC has gotten serious about the night, so there will be even more difficult choices for viewers. It’s such a tough night that NBC pulled “Studio 60” from its Thursday roster, lest its showcase drama get trampled, and substituted utility player “Deal or No Deal” instead.
NEW DRAMAS
“Ugly Betty,” (ABC): This drama, one of fall’s most intriguing hours, is an adaptation of a popular South American telenovela, and America Ferrara’s performance as a would-be magazine editor, the sartorially challenged Betty, is so winning and nuanced you want this show — and Betty — to succeed. ABC has taken a brave stand by giving the quirky but heartfelt “Betty” a primo slot leading into “Grey’s Anatomy.”
“Shark,” (CBS): James Woods stars as a lawyer who has a crisis of conscience and goes to work for the district attorney’s office, prosecuting high-profile cases in his own, highly combative way. This is clearly a star vehicle for the charismatic Woods, who is formidable, but the cast around him fades into the woodwork by comparison, and this show — a pretty direct ripoff of “House” — is far less creative, so far, than that Fox medical drama.
“Six Degrees,” (ABC): “Lost” guru J.J. Abrams brings a touch of magic to this fine ensemble drama about the intersecting lives of New Yorkers. The only question is, will the show drift into inconsequentiality if he loses interest in guiding its storytelling? And will this coincidence-driven drama, which is extremely well-acted, have the substance to fill out a full season?
NEW COMEDIES
“Happy Hour,” (Fox): NBC’s comedies are really the ones to beat in this hour, and Fox’s offerings won’t do much to change that. In this one, a small-town, twentysomething guy moves to Chicago and attempts to make over his life with the help of a his roguish roommate, a would-be ladykiller.
“‘Til Death,” (Fox): “Everybody Loves Raymond’s” Brad Garrett stars as a grizzled veteran of the marriage wars and “a cynical realist who considers himself an expert on most topics”; he and his bride (Joely Fisher) live next door to starry-eyed newlyweds.
New unscripted:
“Celebrity Duets,” (Fox): Famous singers, including Cyndi Lauper, Smokey Robinson, Randy Travis, Macy Gray and Chaka Khan, duet with celebrities not known for their vocal talents in this show, which, of course, bears not the slightest resemblance to “Dancing With the Stars.”
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Friday
TIME: 7:00
ABC: AMERICA’S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS (ENCORES)
CBS: THE GHOST WHISPERER (SEPT. 22)
NBC: CROSSING JORDAN (OCT. 20)
FOX: NANNY 911 (SEPT. 8)
CW: WWE SMACKDOWN (SEPT. 22)
TIME: 8:00
ABC: MEN IN TREES (SEPT. 12)
CBS: CLOSE TO HOME (SEPT. 22)
NBC: LAS VEGAS (OCT. 20)
FOX: CELEBRITY DUETS RESULTS SHOW
TIME: 9:00
ABC: 20/20 (SEPT. 8)
CBS: NUMB3RS (SEPT. 22)
NBC: LAW & ORDER (SEPT. 22)
FOX: LOCAL PROGRAMS
CW: LOCAL PROGRAMS
NBC is shaking thingsup Fridays, shifting the flagship “Law & Order” to a new berth — and can that be a good thing? Dick Wolf’s last two new dramas, “Conviction” and “Law & Order: Trial by Jury” both failed in the 9 p.m. Friday slot. “Crossing Jordan” also migrates to this night, which sees Fox more or less giving up and CBS standing pat but retooling “Close to Home” with new characters.
NEW DRAMA
“Men in Trees,” (ABC): If a woman is successful in her chosen profession and has found a man to marry — well, in TV terms, that means she’s heading for a fall. Anne Heche stars as a self-help author who moves to Alaska because it is full of big, furry menfolk who know how to treat a lady right. Plus, there’s a raccoon. It’s all fairly implausible and even if Friday night audiences want a romantic comedy instead of a crime drama, will they go for a show that portrays women as incompetent whiners?
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Saturday
Saturday evenings will continue to have a mixture of repeats, newsmagazines and fresh episodes of “Cops” and “America’s Most Wanted” on Fox. But there are couple of new entries into the Saturday mix; MyNetwork TV will air episodes of “Fashion House” and “Desire,” and during the fall, ABC will broadcast college football games.
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For a multimedia presentation on the fall offerings, go to chicagotribune.com/falltv.
chicagotribune.com/watcher
moryan@tribune.com
