Question: The question about Ugly Betty being sentenced to death on Fridays made me think of the Law & Order time switch. When it was on the same night but one hour earlier, its ratings dropped. Will moving it to the "death slot" kill it, or do you think senior citizen L&O will be able to survive? If/when one of the lesser-quality new shows gets canceled, would NBC move L&O back to the Wednesday time slot, like they did after pulling Heist?
Answer: Law & Order will survive, if not thrive, on Fridays, but its numbers will drop there as it faces formidable competition in CBS' Numb3rs. (Pun not intended.) For NBC, having a proven veteran like Law & Order anchoring its Friday schedule (alongside other proven franchises like Crossing Jordan and Las Vegas) will keep the network in business on the night. But if Kidnapped does turn out to be an instant dud like Heist (it deserves a far better fate), NBC won't think twice before moving Law & Order back to its old home against the equally tired
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If you're looking for a match made in TV heaven, Monk and the new Psych (Fridays at 10 pm/ET on USA) fit the bill. As a Friday-night double feature of lighthearted mayhem (Psych follows Monk), they prove that few places are more fun than a crime scene, if you're in the right company.
"All guaranteed fun" is the operating principle behind Psych, a clever romp about charming slacker Shawn Spencer (James Roday, who should become an overnight star in this role
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Reunion. Threshold. E-Ring. Invasion. Emily's Reasons Why Not. Love Monkey. Commander in Chief. Heist.
What do these shows have in common? They all debuted at some point during this soon-to-wrap TV season, yet each saw their run either cut surprisingly short or handicapped by irregular scheduling. Was 2005-06 the worst year ever to sample a new show? Were the networks especially hasty in deciding the fate of freshman series? TVGuide.com consulted a panel of experts with unique points of view to examine this strange little season gone by.
Are New Shows Getting Short Shrift?Jeff Bader, executive vice president of ABC entertainment programming and scheduling, dismisses the suggestion that prime time is a crueler-than-ever proving ground for new series. "
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Question: I have been enjoying the show Hustle on AMC a great deal, and I was wondering what you thought of it. It seems like the show NBC had hoped Heist might be. It is so smart and fun. It also does the "wink and nod" to the audience better than most shows on TV. I was wondering where Hustle is in its run: Is this the first season? Is it successful for AMC? Will there be another season? Is it coming out on DVD? Thanks!
Answer: I like Hustle quite a bit, too. (I reviewed it in the magazine's Jan. 30 issue.) Courtesy of AMC, here's the scoop on Hustle, which, being a British series, airs its seasons a little differently than we usually do. AMC has aired 18 episodes to date, which comprises two seasons of the series overseas. A third season is currently airing on BBC1, and these episodes will air on AMC beginning July 1. No word yet on a DVD release, though it seems like a natural. (And for the record, as I've said before, this column is not a good resource regarding DVD releases, o ...
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Question: Please tell me it's not true that Heist has been canceled. This is the only decent show NBC has except Deal or No Deal. There has got to be some place they can fit it in their schedule to make people watch. Maybe they can put it on in the summer. Also, I've seen reruns on the USA network. Could USA possibly pick up the show?
Answer: Well, we couldn't live on two more different planets. I hated Heist and am counting the days until this insipid fad of Deal or No Deal fades. But it's true: Heist is dead, at least where NBC is concerned. I suppose there is a chance that one of NBC's corporate cable cousins (A&E, Bravo, CNBC), which occasionally repurpose NBC programming, could present some of the unaired Heist episodes. But I'm not aware of that happening right now. I know it's particularly annoying when a serialized show is cut off midstream. But Heist struck me as an iffy idea done in by unbearably smug and inept execution ...
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