ABC Upfront: Fall 2009

[Pavan]

I understand what you're saying, though Jamie Oliver on Thurs at 9 is not a given 3 or anything. In fact, it performed better in its Friday 9pm premiere than in its Sunday premiere after Desperate.

Anyway, another schedule update:

Friday, April 30, 2010
9:00pm Wife Swap
[Wife Swap remains in its 8pm slot on this date as well.]

[tvcrazed]

is the new season starting Sep 27th? cause if it does, I could see Mon Sep 20th as CMA Music Fest

[tvcrazed]

thefutoncritic This just in: WIFE SWAP off again this Friday in favor of another JAMIE OLIVER'S FOOD REVOLUTION encore

[Pavan]

I'm back after a few days not available. The 2010-2011 season starts Sept. 20, from what I see.

Friday, April 16, 2010
8:00pm Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution (R, 4/9)
[Leads into a new episode. Wife Swap is preempted again.]

[tvcrazed]

I know we disagree somewhat about scheduling Pavan. And I know ABC runs GREY reruns for ad rates and to make money back. But I think Thurs is such an important night for them and with other nets all in originals or good stunts (NBC), running reruns of GA and PP make zero sense to me. Last night ABC tied with CW for 5th (if you include Univision). If they need to rerun GA and PP to make back money, thats what Friday or Sat are for. I know thankfully this Summer they arent doing it on Thurs and there are no more PP reruns, but still.

[Superbowl]

I guess we now know why ABC has been throwing aside Romantically Challenged like a piece of garbage all season. According to Robert Bianco of USA Today (a very good reviewer) Romantically Challenged is another bomb in the same class as Hank. From USA Today :

ABC had well-deserved failures, led by Hank this fall and probably next week's equally awful Romantically Challenged

http://www.usatoday.com/life/televis...des16_CV_N.htm

No thanks ABC, but I'll stick with my The Big Bang Theory repeats on CBS. A Big Bang Theory repeat is better than most first run sitcoms, anyway.

[robyrob]

i am going to give Romantically Challenged a chance - but only for Kelly Stables.

[Pavan]

Originally Posted by Superbowl

I guess we now know why ABC has been throwing aside Romantically Challenged like a piece of garbage all season. According to Robert Bianco of USA Today (a very good reviewer) Romantically Challenged is another bomb in the same class as Hank. From USA Today :



http://www.usatoday.com/life/televis...des16_CV_N.htm

No thanks ABC, but I'll stick with my The Big Bang Theory repeats on CBS. A Big Bang Theory repeat is better than most first run sitcoms, anyway.

Because of a critic you won't watch? Sorry, but I have seen the first two episodes of RC and it is a thousand times better than the generic Hank. Many critics didn't like Big Bang Theory's first episode either. That didn't stop that show.

[tvcrazed]

I agree with Pavan. Its far better than HANK. Is it in the caliber of ABC Wed comedies, well no. But its a very decent, sometimes funny, even relatable show with a throughly likeable cast. Unlike HANK, you could see how with tighter scripts this show could really blossom into something very good.

That being said, Im still worried about where they scheduled it. I know TBBT is in rerun for 2 weeks, but even in reruns (when not against DWTS) that show gets a 4.0, higher than most of ABC's shows in originals. I have argued against scheduling it here all this year and they are doing it so I am rooting for its success, but I still think it wasnt smart.

DWTS is doing great and CASTLE has a great lead in. ABC Monday is their strongest night of the week. WHy mess with that? All it takes it one mediocre performer to hamper the night. Theyve been winning Monday. All you need to look at is how last years SS changed that (and hurt CASTLE)., Now CASTLE is stronger this year, but still, id hate for ABC to lose momentum on the night because of RC at 9:30. Dont give people a chance to change channel at 9:30 to CBS and stay there for the rest of night . I think RC is way better than SS, but I guess with these negative reviews (and Ive seen more than 1) and a very strong option at 9:30 on CBS, Im worried again. I love ABC development etc but I continue to think their scheduling doesnt match up with everything else they do brilliantly. Before you ask, I would have put RC somewhere on WED. Anyway its happening so I am really rooting for it to work, just nervous that it wont. But its always a gamble, I guess.

DWTS should always be 2 hours, IMHO. For the few weeks they have had less couples they could have stunted somehow to fill out the 2 hours. Were talking 3 weeks max. Once it gets to 6 or 5 couples they could be doing 2 dances a week. This proves that the 2 hour format wasnt the problem last Fall. People just didnt like the cast. The show has so much buzz everywhere now, why cut out that half hour? They stretched out last weeks show and they won every half hour. With comp everywhere and a huge comedy at 9:30 on CBS, DWTS should be 2 hours all the time, IMHO.

I am rooting for RC to do well on Monday.

[JulieSomoski]

Originally Posted by Superbowl

I guess we now know why ABC has been throwing aside Romantically Challenged like a piece of garbage all season. According to Robert Bianco of USA Today (a very good reviewer) Romantically Challenged is another bomb in the same class as Hank. From USA Today :



http://www.usatoday.com/life/televis...des16_CV_N.htm

No thanks ABC, but I'll stick with my The Big Bang Theory repeats on CBS. A Big Bang Theory repeat is better than most first run sitcoms, anyway.

Romantically Challenged actually looks funny. I mean, come on - it's Alyssa Milano. She's incredible at what she does. I'm looking forward to this show, and I'm more than glad CBS is showing BBT repeats 3/4 of its airings. So, I'll definitely be tuning in on Monday to watch it. Hopefully it succeeds - I'm expecting about a 14 million premiere, although I'm also expecting the BBT repeat to outrate the 2.5 Men repeat.

Just a quick note - I find it interesting how the article you posted listed "Old Christine" as a high point on CBS. It's a good thing ABC is still interested in this show, as it really is one of the best comedies on the air.

[Pavan]

We all should be rooting for Romantically Challenged here. It is a sitcom and a traditional one. Not to mention it stars a classic TV actress. She is great and stunning in this show, but Josh Lawson steals the show in the first episode. He is comedy gold in it. And the second as well, but Kyle Bornheimer shows off his great timing like he did on Worst Week (which was great!). I prefer the second episode just because of Bornheimer's greatness in it.

The trade reviews are way too harsh, I think. The Variety one is so bad. They don't even have their facts straight. That was a piece of crap written by Variety. It made no sense. The Hollywood Reporter review was a better piece, even though they didn't love it (they made some good points about it), it was well written. All of these trade reviews are basing it on just the first episode airing, too, I think the second one airing is a bit more stronger and better uses Bornheimer.

I agree tvcrazed, it is not better than the Wednesday comedies yet (nor should it be compared to them, since those are single camera and family comedies). I think we are all used to the smart writing of single camera shows now, especially TV critics, and they slam all of the traditional comedies (they slammed ALL the newbies this season). Hank deserved to be slammed, but RomChallenged does not. It has loads of potential. The thing about multi-camera sitcoms is, that nearly all of the big ones, the first seasons were the worst ones compared to the other seasons. I can give you so many examples (Three's Company, Perfect Strangers, Facts of Life, Family Ties, etc), so I can see (hopefully) ABC being patient with this one and bringing it back. They were patient with George Lopez after its four episodes in the first season...and that lasted 6 seasons and critics didn't like it, but viewers did.

If you don't think Romantically Challenged is better than Hank, Accidentally on Purpose or Brothers, then I don't know what to think...

[Pavan]

Scratch all of those reviews off! ABC is now airing the actual pilot first and not the fourth episode (which was slated to air first):

HAPPY ANNOUNCEMENT: Premiere episode ABC is airing Mon. is now the 1st one we shot - the pilot & the one that sets everything up! -Ricky Blitt

[yankeesrj12]

Originally Posted by Pavan

Scratch all of those reviews off! ABC is now airing the actual pilot first and not the fourth episode (which was slated to air first):

HAPPY ANNOUNCEMENT: Premiere episode ABC is airing Mon. is now the 1st one we shot - the pilot & the one that sets everything up! -Ricky Blitt

Thats great news! When a show starts from another episode, that is never good.

[Pavan]

I don't think this will be made available for review in time, but I'm glad they are changing the episode to the actual first episode.

"ROMANTICALLY CHALLENGED"

*EPISODE CHANGE* OF MONDAY, APRIL 19 PREMIERE:

REBECCA AND PERRY DISCOVER THERE’S A HIGH PRICE TO PAY
FOR BEING THEMSELVES AS THEY VENTURE OUT INTO THE DATING WORLD, ON THE PREMIERE OF ABC’S “ROMANTICALLY CHALLENGED,” MONDAY, APRIL 19

Alyssa Milano stars in “Romantically Challenged,” an ensemble comedy about four friends trying to find love and happiness while navigating their way through today’s tricky world of dating, premiering MONDAY, APRIL 19 (9:32-10:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

“Don’t Be Yourself” – After Rebecca learns about her ex-husband’s impending wedding, she decides to jump headfirst into the dating pool. But the crew get her so worked up that, when it comes time to the actual date, she becomes flustered and ends up saying some ridiculous things about herself. Meanwhile Perry meets a girl he thinks is perfect – until he finds out she likes to be talked dirty to during their romantic encounters, so Lisa takes it upon herself to coach Perry through Dirty Talk 101; and Rebecca enlists struggling and unpublished writer Shawn to help her son, Justin, write a story for his high school English class, on “Romantically Challenged,” MONDAY, APRIL 19 (9:32-10:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

*EDITOR’S NOTE: This episode replaces “Rebecca’s One Night Stand,” which has not yet been rescheduled.

“Romantically Challenged” stars Alyssa Milano as Rebecca, Kyle Bornheimer as Perry, Josh Lawson as Shawn and Kelly Stables as Lisa.

Guest starring is Israel Broussard as Justin, Mark Deklin as Doug, Dorian Brown as Marika, Valorie Hubbard as Mrs. Gordon and Nicole Pettis as cooking teacher.

“Don’t Be Yourself” was written by Ricky Blitt and directed by James Burrows.

[Superbowl]

Originally Posted by Pavan

Because of a critic you won't watch? Sorry, but I have seen the first two episodes of RC and it is a thousand times better than the generic Hank. Many critics didn't like Big Bang Theory's first episode either. That didn't stop that show.

No, the critics opinion has nothing do with anything. I told you before I will not watch this show opposite The Big Bang Theory. I am one of the millions who also watch The Big Bang Theory repeats.