Where Soap Operas Rule

In the soap opera that is primetime television programming, casualties and full season pick ups for the 2011-2012 season are being announced.  Refresh page for updates.

UPDATED December 8, 2011

In the words of Queen's immortal Freddy Mercury, "and another one's gone, another one's gone, another one bites the dust..

ABC today announced the cancelation of Man Up, the Tuesday night sitcom that followed Last Man Standing, which has been holding it's own in its timeslot.  Man Up, on the other hand, sunk to series lows on Tuesday, December 6th.  The episode dealt with Will who hoped that adopting a baby chick for little Lucy would be a "teachable moment" about where food comes from, but things soon got out of hand when all of the guys decided they wanted to adopt chicks too; Craig dated an attractive doctor, but got intimidated by her bully of a son.  The network originally ordered 13 episodes of this show, and has already aired eight.  It is presumed that the final five will be pulled but may air in the summer.

Meantime, ABC has the Man Up replacement already geared up. It's called Work It, and from what I've seen, well, let's just say, it was work to finish watching the pilot.  I didn't find it funny, did find it sexest  and demeaning to both working women and men.  The premise of this show is Bossom Buddies meets The Office.  But Tom Hanks in drag was far more attractive then these guys.  ABC is calling this a "high-concept" comedy, and says:  "Work It centers on two unrepentant guy's guys who, unable to find work, dress as women to get jobs as pharmaceutical reps. Not only do they pull it off, but they might just learn to be better men in the process."  That remains to be seen. The show stars Ben Koldyke ("How I Met Your Mother") as Lee, Amaury Nolasco ("Prison Break") as Angel, Beth Lacke ("Happy Hour") as Connie, John Caparulo ("Chelsea Lately") as Brian, Rebecca Mader ("Lost") as Grace, Rochelle Aytes ("Detroit 1-8-7") as Vanessa, Kate Reinders ("Sherrie") as Kelly, Kirstin Eggers ("Aussie and Ted's Great Adventure") as Kristin and Kacie Lynch ("Barney and Friends") as Kat. "  Work It will fill the 8:30 PM slot on Tuesdays on ABC beginning January 3rd.

As previously reported, ABC did give Pan Am an additional six-script order, but will only produce one of those additional scripts at this time.  Pan Am may be grounded a bit after that, but it very well may take flight again next year.

UPDATED NOvember 21, 2011

NBC's Grimm is sitting pretty right about now. THR is reporting that the network just gave the fairytale take on the crime procedural a full season pick up.  NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt couldn't be more delighted at announcing the news.  "This series is turning the traditional procedural on it's head (didn't I just say that?  Well, kinda..) and is attracting a loyal following for us on Friday nights.  We love where it's going creatively and we're excited to deliver more episodes to our audiences."  With such high hopes for the show, the network will air a special episode on Thursday, December 8th to see how it does in the Thursday 10 PM time slot. If it does well, maybe they will shift its regular air night to Thursday.  Grimm stars David Diuntoli, Bitsie Tulloc, Silas Weir Mitchll, Sasah Roiz, and Russell Hornsby. For now, Grimm airs regularly at 9 PM on Fridays.

 

 

UPDATED November !6, 2011

Another one bites the dust.  Soapdom has just learned, from an inside source, that NBC has cancelled freshman drama, Prime Suspect, starring Maria Bello.  Not sure who was watching this show. I sure as heck wasn't.  Although, I am a fan of Maria Bello (and producer, Peter Berg, Emmy nominated for Friday Night Lights), and have enjoyed her work in other projects like ER and Mr. & Mrs. Smith, I just did not get the way she portrayed this character in Prime Suspect.  That aversion kept me away from getting into any of the episodes.  Really did try to like the show, usually crime procedurals are right up my alley, and this one was based on a very popular British television show of the same name, that starred Helen Mirren.  Mirren's portrayal of the character won her three consecutive BAFTA awards for Best Actress between 1992 and 1994. This Americanized version just didn't work for me, given Bello's very tough-as-nails, performance.  The crew was just notified of the show's cancellation.  Nothing official has been announced at this time.

 

UPDATED November 3, 2011

The ABC network has just given a full season pick up to fairy-taler, Once Upon a Time, and sitcom, Last Man Standing.  Plus, sitcom Happy Endings has gotten a back nine, extending it's total season order to 22 episodes, and hour-long 60's retro Pan Am has gotten an order for five more scripts, which is usually a good sign for production of five more episodes.

Once Upon a Time is proving to be a hit for ABC, ranking as the season's number one new drama. According to the Hollywood Reporter, it premiered to 12.6 million viewers and has maintained that audience through it's second airing. Wouldn't you know it though?  I missed episode two!  Thankfully, I can catch it online.   Meanwhile, the third installment of Once Upon a Time, airing Sunday, November 6, 2011, looks tres intriguing. At Henry's urging, Emma convinces Mary Margaret to pay a visit to a comatose John Doe in the hospital and to read to him from the storybook. But Mary Margaret is stunned at the outcome of her visit. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale world, Prince Charming meets Snow White for the first time in a most unexpected way.

UPDATED October 25, 2011

Congratulations to two more CBS freshman series that just got a back nine pick up for the 2011-2012 season.  Both Person of Interest  (starring Jim Caviezel) and penned by J.J. Abrams, and Unforgettable (starring Poppy Montgomery and Dylan Walsh) have now joined the CBS sitcom, Two Broke Girls, in getting a full season pick up.

Person of Interest, also starring Lost's Michael Emerson, is a show I am just not getting into.  The premise seems intriguing, but the show's execution is boring for me.  Are you enjoying it? Don't get me wrong. I am delighted it got picked up. That means cast and crew have jobs for another six months.  But I am just not into watching this show.

Unforgettable, on the other hand, is taking the crime procedural in another direction, given the main character's (Poppy Montgomery), memory prowess.  This is actually a true phenom, but there are only about 6 or 7 known people in the country with this unforgettable gene.  60 Minutes did a story on them about a year ago. Actress Marilu Henner is one of the lucky few to possess this specialty and is a consultant on the show.  This show is tune in for me, every week.  Glad to see it will be around for at least a full year.

 

UDATED October 18, 2011

Last week we reported that CBS' How to Be a Gentleman, starring Kevin Dillon (ex Johnny "Drama" Chase, Entourage"), David Hornsby and Mary Lynn Rajskub, was cancelled and that production was stopped on the show. However, we likewise shared that since the producers still had seven or so unseen episodes "in the can," as they say out here in La La Land, the sitcom would continue to run in it's new timeslot, Saturday nights at 8:30 PM after re-runs of Two and a Half Men.  Wrong. After airing once in this new timeslot, and doing quite poorly, CBS has yanked the show completely.  No word yet as to what will air in it's place.

UPDATED October 14, 2011

Despite a slight increase in the ratings for last night's episode, ABC has just cancelled Charlie's Angels (Minka Kelly, Annie IIonzeh, Rachel Taylor, Ramon Rodriguez).  The reboot, produced by film star, Drew Barrymore, did okay out of the park with 8.7 million viewers on September 22, 2011 -- premiere night -- garnering a 2.1 rating in the 18-49 segment.  This was quite good, and looked promising for the show, given the stiff competition in the time slot, especially it being the debut week of Fox's the X-Factor. However, as the season progressed, the ratings dropped, and although there was a bit of an uptick last night, I guess it wasn't enough for ABC to keep the show on the air. 

The network invested a fair amount in promoting the remake, so word of the show was definitely out there. Maybe this premise is just not workable for today's audiences -- especially the device of talking to your boss on a speaker phone and never actually meeting him. 

I caught several episodes of the show, but found myself flipping back and forth. The storylines were just not compelling enough to grab me. It's great to see strong female characters, but perhaps the show focused too heavily on the action sequences, leaving engaging storytelling behind. 

Although the network shut down production today, there are still some episodes in the can that will continue to air until ABC decides what to put in its place.

Another casualty is CBS's How to Be a Gentleman.  This one slipped by me. It was cancelled October 8th, one day after CBS moved the show to a new timeslot on Saturday evenings, beginning October 15th at 8:30 PM after a re-run of Two and a Half Men.  Only saw part of this show one time. There were a few laughs, plus, I always enjoy Kevin Dillon (ex Johnny "Drama" Chase, Entorage).  Such a shame that there is just too much fun stuff airing in primetime this season and networks aren't really giving freshman shows a chance to even find an audience. 

Although production on How to Be a Gentleman was shut down last week, there are still about seven episodes that have already been produced. They will continue to air in the Saturday timeslot. 

Meanwhile, the sixth season of Rules of Engagement will premiere Thursday, October 20th in How to Be a Gentleman's original timeslot, Thursdays at 8:30 PM after The Big Bang Theory.

 

UPDATED October 13, 2011:

The ABC Network is making it's first announced pick-ups for the 2011-2012 season.  Freshman series Revenge (Emily van Kamp, Madeleine Stowe) has been given "a back nine," which equates to a full season pick up.  The series, loosely based on the Alexandre Dumas novel, "The Count of Monte Cristo," has been maintaining a fairly decent rating in the 10 PM slot on Wednesdays, garnering 8.8 million viewers and a 2.8 rating among adults 18-49. 

I admit, I am into this series.  At first, I thought keeping up the revenge plot would be very one-note. After you bested the person that wronged you, then what?  As the series is developing, however, it is not just about settling the score with one person, but just about the entire town of South Hampton! 

Plus, when I lived in NY, I spent many an amazing summer in the Hamptons, luckily never encountering the kinds of people who wronged Emily Thorne (van Kamp).

Another ABC network pick up is Suburgatory.  This is a fun half hour with Jane Levy, Jeremy Sisto (also a favorite of mine), and Cheryl Hines whose fake tan is a bit distracting, but hey, it's part of her character!

Additionally, ABC ordered six more scripts from the second year sitcom Happy Endings.

UPDATED October 12, 2011: 

The CW has ordered a full season of RInger, starring Daytime Emmy Winner Sarah Michelle Gellar (ex Kendall, All My Children, ex Buffy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer).  All My Children fans were treated to a Gellar cameo the last broadcast week of AMC. 

Additionally, the CW has ordered full season pick ups of Heart of Dixie (Rachel Bilson) and Secret Circle.

While over at NBC, the peacock has given an additional six-script order to freshman series, Prime Suspect (Maria Bello), as well as ordering six more scripts for David E. Kelley's Harry's Law (Kathy Bates, Mark Valley, Christopher MacDonald, et al).  After retooling this season, Harry's Law is a lot more intriguing and worth a revisit.  Catch an episode.

HBO has also picked up Boardwalk Empire for another season.  Nucky will ride again!

UPDATED October 6, 2011: 

NBC cancelled Free Agents, starring Hank Azaria and Kathryn Hahn. Too bad. I watched it last night for the first time, and it was kinda fun. Sorry to see it go. Guess no one else was watching. In it's third episode, it only had 3.9 million viewers.  With its pretty stiff competition, the X-Factor on Fox and Survivor on CBS the show is doomed in this timeslot.  No announcement as to what NBC will put in its place. Whatever it is, it will still struggle up against those two strong competitors.

Later this afternoon, the CW pulled H8R off the line up, and will replace it with repeat eppys of Ringer, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar (ex Kendall, All My Children) to get that show a shot at a wider audience.

October 5, 2011

The first to go, NBC has cancelled "The Playboy Club."  From the getgo the show was plagued with opposition from women's rights groups and viewers who felt the show depicted women in the wrong way, or objectified women..

For me, it just kind of missed the mark.  As AMC's Mad Men is so accurate with period hair, make-up, wardrobe and props, I found Playboy club not all that 60s.  And although I love Eddie Cibrian, and wanted the show to succeed, even he couldn't make the material work.

The show debuted to luke-warm ratings (5 million, and only 1.6 in the advertiser coveted demographic of 18-49 year olds) and by its third airing, it dipped another 8 percent down to 3.4 million viewers, 1.2 in the demo.  NBC cancelled the show on Tuesday.

Hugh Heffner tweeted to his 870,000 some odd followers, "Im sorry NBC's The Playboy Club didn't find its audience.  It should have been on cable, aimed at a more adult audience."

Or -- it should have been written in a more  engaging and compelling way!  But what do I know?

On the up side, NBC has given full seaon pick ups to sitcoms Whitney (starring Whitney Cummings) and Up All Night (starring Christina Applegate and Will Arnett). 

While over at CBS, Two Broke Girls (co-created by Whitney Cummings who also serves as an executive consultant), has also just gotten a full season pick up.

Looks like Whitney Cummings has a couple of hits on her hands.  Way to go, Whit.

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