TV Mid-Season Review
It’s that time once again. To date there have been 6 cancellations of shows that premiered in the Fall - (5 of which were predicted by Media Experts). Six more are on the cancellation bubble. Now is the time the networks fill those slots with the mid-season shows they have been keeping on the shelf. This winter/spring period will see no less than 17 new shows hit the airwaves on the Bell, Shaw, Rogers and CBC schedules.
Following is a brief description of each show and some comments on how we think they will fare.
Bell Media Shows
Smash: Glee for grown ups. Debra Messing returns to TV and American Idol winner Katherine McPhee makes her debut. Angelica Huston adds spice like only she can. Has great promise.
GCB: Formerly called Good Christian Bitches (now Belles). A mean spirited, religious Desperate Housewives as we see it. Some religious groups are already protesting citing religious discrimination This show is causing some stir and guarantees viewers will tune in just to check out what all the controversy is about.
Missing: Ashley Judd stars as a mother that will do anything to find her son. Trailers are compelling and Ashley does a credible job but once she finds her son ...what’s next?
L. A. Complex: Aspiring young actors live in the same building complex. The show is shot in both LA and Toronto. Very Degrassi- like with strong youth appeal.
The River: Bruce Greenwood gets lost in the Amazon and his family sets out to find him. Shot in a documentary style but has paranormal overtones. With little competition in its timeslot it may survive the rest of the season.
SHAW Media Shows
Are you there Chelsea? Inspired by the book, this comedy follows the exploits of bartender Chelsea ( Laura Prepon) determined to live life to the fullest. Competitive shows American Idol and Modern Family won’t give this show a chance.
The Finder: A Bones spinoff without the formula for success as yet. May take a while to build an audience but airing against Grey’s Anatomy might make Finder hard for the audience to find.
The Bomb Girls: Unfortunately there are only 6 parts to this excellent account of WWII women working in a munitions factory. Meg Tilley is superb.
The Firm: A reboot sequel to the John Grisham novel and film of the same name. This show has serious potential and the public can’t get enough of legal shows. NBC committed to 22 episodes so they feel it has legs and so do we.
Touch: Keifer Sutherland plays the father of an autistic child who can foretell the future. Each episode stands alone although connected. The combination of Keifer and Heroes creator Tim Kring will prove to be a winning formula.
The Exes: A comedy about 3 divorced men and their female divorce attorney, who is also their landlord. Don’t waste your time.
iRob: This new comedy starring Rob Schneider isn’t offensive because of its liberal use of stereotypes. It’s offensive because it is unfunny and unoriginal. Period.
ROGERS New Shows
Alcatraz: Sam Neill stars in this much anticipated sci-fi thriller from the creators of Lost and centres around the mysteries of the famed prison and how it got closed. Didn’t live up my expectations but we are sure it will catch on with the sci fi buffs out there.
Canada’s Got Talent: Oh goodie. Another reality talent show. Yawn. We are sure this will do well in spite of the proliferation of reality talent shows.
Work it: Two unemployed men dress as women to get jobs in a sluggish economy. Really? Bosom Buddies which aired in 1980 did a better job. This show is already working its way onto the cancellation bubble....
CBC New Shows
Mr. D: Canadian funny man Gerry Dee stars as a charming an under qualified teacher trying to fake his way through a teaching job. The character comes off as a little weak but worth watching for some funny moments.
Redemption Inc: Kevin Leary hosts this 8 part series where ex cons are given a chance to launch a business under his guidance for a $100,000 prize. Tough competition will limit the already niche potential audience even further.
We will be monitoring the performance of these shows closely against our predictions in the coming months and will keep you apprised. Stay tuned for another programming update in early May!