UPFRONTS 2006, PART I

May 19, 2006

While we've been watching our favorite shows' final episodes of the season over the last few weeks, the networks have been busy planning which series will live and die, and what new shows will take over from the deceased. On Monday, network execs began announcing their fall schedules at their annual "upfront" presentation to advertisers. First to go were ABC and NBC, which we'll take a look at below. Tune in next Friday for a look at CBS, Fox, and the CW.

NBC -- It's tough to properly assess NBC's 2006 fall lineup because I just can't get past one of the stupidest scheduling decisions I've ever seen. NBC will debut not one, but two new series this fall that take place backstage at a "Saturday Night Live"-esque late night variety show. The first is "The West Wing" creator Aaron Sorkin's "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," an hour-long drama that should still earn plenty of smiles thanks to Sorkin's whip-crack wit. Featuring an impressive cast, including Matthew Perry, Bradley Whitford, Amanda Peet, and Steven Weber, "Studio 60" is one of this fall's most promising shows. Unfortunately, it has to contend with "30 Rock," a half-hour comedy from actual "SNL" star and head writer Tina Fey, who stars here along with Tracy Morgan (also an "SNL" alum) and Alec Baldwin (who has hosted so many times we might as well consider him an "SNL" alum). Having both these shows debut this fall is maddening. The fact that they're on the same network is ludicrous. "Studio 60" and "30 Rock" air on different days, of course, but how many TV fans will commit to two new series sharing the same unique premise? I like Fey and Baldwin, but Sorkin's return to TV (he left "The West Wing" after season four) cannot be missed.

Elsewhere on NBC's schedule, the Monday-night drama "Heroes" sounds nifty. The show tells of a group of ordinary people who suddenly discover they possess superhuman abilities. That premise sounds almost too much like J. Michael Staczynski's comic book "Rising Stars," but, hey, if J. Michael's not suing, we won't complain. Among the case is Milo Ventimiglia (Jess from "Gilmore Girls") and J.J. Abrams regular Greg Grunberg ("Felicity," "Alias"). "Heroes" will air Monday at 9, and I plan on watching at least until Fox's "24" comes back to attack my brain's pleasure centers.

Speaking of "24," "Kidnapped" is another serial drama spawned from the successes of Jack Bauer and the "Prison Break" gang. According to NBC's press release, the show is "a high-stakes thriller in which the teenaged son of a wealthy Upper East Side family is kidnapped and everyone is a suspect." I wanted to quote that verbatim cause of all the hilarious self-importance contained within. Again, though, the cast is interesting -- Jeremy Sisto (crazy brother Billy on "Six Feet Under"), Delroy Lindo, and Timothy Hutton (always a worthwhile guilty pleasure) -- so maybe it'll be worth a look.

NBC also has "Friday Night Lights," based on the Texas high-school-football movie with Kyle Chandler stepping in for Billy Bob Thornton. And the new comedy to be paired with "30 Rock" is "20 Good Years," a kind of update on "The Odd Couple" starring John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor. "Scrubs" was renewed (hooray!) but won't start its season until late '06/early '07.

Oh, and bad news: "Deal or No Deal" is back. Good news: At least "Fear Factor" is gone. At least even NBC realizes that it should only spoon-feed one of these awful reality shows to us at a time, no matter how many people watch.

ABC -- The biggest announcement from the alphabet net is that ratings powerhouse "Grey's Anatomy," a show that surpassed even "Desperate Housewives" in popularity this year, will move to Thursdays at 9 to compete with CBS's still-huge "CSI" and NBC's "Studio 60" for viewers and advertising dollars. Bold move, but people are crazy for "Grey's" even if I still can't take its heaps of saccharine melodrama. "Invasion" was cancelled -- boo! -- but "Life Without Brian" was renewed for season two, which will make at least the two people who e-mailed me about it happy.

ABC's new dramas are mostly high-concept affairs that should soar or crash without much room for error. Consider these out-there premises: Wunderkind J.J. Abrams gives us "Six Degrees," about six New York strangers who are all mystically connected and will be drawn together by a mysterious string of circumstances. Mm-kay. "The Nine" focuses on the bond formed by a group of people who survived a bank robbery during which they were held hostage. Interesting cast in that one -- Chi McBride (a great actor who deserves a worthy show), Tim Daly (he of "Wings" fame), and "24"'s Kim Raver. (Oh, no! Does that mean Audrey's going to get offed this Monday?!) "Day Break" is a "Groundhog Day" variation where Taye Diggs relives the same day over and over as he tries to figure out who framed him for murder and why. Like I said, super high-concept stuff. Proceed with cautious optimism.

The show taking "Grey's Anatomy"'s Sunday spot is "Brothers & Sisters," which is all plain jane next to those other shows. It's a family drama starring Calista Flockhart, who used to dance with freaky babies on "Ally McBeal," and "Six Feet Under"'s Rachel Griffiths.

ABC will also debut six new comedies this fall. (Six new comedies and yet you couldn't keep "Invasion"? Really?) The most promising of the bunch is "Let's Rob..." a show about a group of down-on-life misfits who concoct a scheme to -- I kid you not -- rob Mick Jagger. Donal Logue ("Grounded for Life") stars, and the show comes from Jon Beckerman and Rob Burnett, creators of the warmly-remembered "Ed." Best case scenario -- "Let's Rob" becomes next season's "My Name is Earl," an unconventional comedy that draws laughs from the craziest of situations.

The other five comedies are standard issue. One stars Ted Danson as a best-selling author who leads regular group therapy sessions even though he's the one that needs the help. Another is described by ABC as "Father of the Bride" meets "24." No, Jack Bauer does not torture Steve Martin. But the show's entire season will take place in one day - a young couple's wedding day.