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September 3 - September 9 »
August 31, 2006
''30 Rock''
Premieres Wednesday, October 11th at 8:30pm. What: A zany comedy with an inside look at the workings of a New York-based NBC series not unlike ''Saturday Night Live.'' NBC has decided to go with two of these ‘behind the scenes” shows this year, and smart money is on … well, it’s hard to tell, actually. Who’s in it: Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan.
"Friday Night Lights"
Premieres Tuesday, October 3rd at 8 p.m. In a small Texas town where everything revolves around high school football -- newly appointed head coach Eric Taylor (Chandler) has to lead the nationwide high school football champs to another winning season. Okay. Well. Best of luck, Coach. Who’s in it: Kyle Chandler, Scott Porter, Gaius Charles, and Minka Kelly.
''Heroes''
Premieres Monday, September 25th at 9pm. A drama about ordinary people afflicted with superpowers and the world’s response to their newly found ability to stop trains, heal very quickly and generally perform the tasks usually reserved for the superfriends.” With: Adrian Pasdar, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Milo Ventimiglia, Hayden Panettiere, Ali Larter,
''Kidnapped''
Premieres Wednesday September 20th at 10pm. A kidnapping specialist tracks down a missing rich kid while he keeps the FBI buttinskies at bay and the youngster's parents from losing faith. With Dana Delany, Timothy Hutton, Jeremy Sisto, Carmen Ejogo, Will Denton, Delroy Lindo.
''Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"
Premiers Monday, September 18th at 10pm. A buddy dramedy in the posh trappings of a big-time network TV show, created by ‘West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin, the show employs the same quick – paced dialogue and high-profile stars. With Bradley Whitford, Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet among others.
''Twenty Good Years''
Premieres Wednesday, October 4th at 8pm. Basically, it’s ''The Odd Couple'' rejiggered for John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor. Our hopes are low.
''Runaway''
Premieres Monday, September 25th at 9pm. Lawyer was having an extramarital affair. The girlfriend turned up dead. He was framed, and convicted, for the murder. Now it's 24 days after he jumped bail. Taking flight with his wife and three children, he's desperate to puzzle out who's behind the crime. The basic premise here seems to be ''The Fugitive'' with a wife and kids in tow. With Donnie Wahlberg, Leslie Hope, Dustin Milligan, Sarah Ramos, Nathan Gamble, Susan Floyd, Karen LeBlanc.
>“The Game”'
Premiering Sunday, October 1st at 8:30pm. Sort of like footballer’s wives, but American and scripted beyond repair. ''I can still get cut. I'm a third-string wide receiver,'' says Derwin, just starting out with the San Diego Sabers. ''Ahhhh, baby,'' coos his girlfriend, Melanie, ''you're at least second-string to me.'' Cue the laugh track.
With Pooch Hall, Coby Bell, Tia Mowry, Hosea Chanchez, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Brittany Daniel.
'''Til Death''
Premieres Thursday, September 7th at 8pm. You’ve seen the exhaustive ad campaign. Newlyweds and long-marrieds live next door, but sometimes miles apart. The young ones still love each other. The old ones seem to hate each other. It has newcomer Kat Foster, though, who is no-fooling awesome. Starring Brad Garrett, Joely Fisher, Eddie Kaye, Kat Foster.
''Standoff''
Premieres Tuesday, September 5ht at 8pm. A pair of crisis negotiators face the added challenge of negotiating their on-the-job affair. The show has been described as “24” meets “Moonlighting.” Oh Jeez. Starring Ron Livingston, Rosemarie DeWitt, Michael Cudlitz, Gina Torres, Raquel Alessi.
''Justice''
Premiered August 30th at 9pm. A drama about legal defense at its most sophisticated, pricey and contrived. Basically, lawyers do everything they can to get their clients a fakey sorta justice. Starring Victor Garber, Kerr Smith, Eamonn Walker, Rebecca Mader.
''Vanished''
Premiered August 21st at 9pm. A senator's lovely young wife disappears. But who could have taken her? Al Qaeda? Maybe, or perhaps she’s one of those “sketchy, evil” Senators wives we’ve been reading about.
Who’s in it: Gale Harold, Ming-Na, John Allen Nelson, Joanne Kelly, Rebecca Gayheart, Margarita Levieva, John Patrick Amedori, Chris Egan, Robert Hoffman. '
''Happy Hour'
Premeiring Thursday, September 7th at 8:30pm. Sort of a buddy comedy with drinking. Couple of guys, couple of girls, one’s a slob, one’s straight-laced. Hijinks ensue. It sounds like the sit-com they were spoofing on Lisa Kudrow’s “The Comeback.” All the show needs is Aunt Sassy upstairs. With John Sloan, Lex Medlin, Nat Faxon, Jamie Denbo, Beth Lacke, Brooke D'Orsay.
''The Nine''
Premieres Wednesday, October 4th at 10pm. Ten people are held hostage in a bank heist and one is killed. The rest of the nine embark down a long road to recovery. Everyone responds differently. Likely, there will be conflict. We think? Starring Tim Daly, Scott Wolf, Chi McBride, Lourdes Benedicto, Camille Guaty, Jessica Collins, Kim Raver, John Billingsley, Dana Davis, Owain Yeoman.
''Brothers & Sisters''
Premieres Sunday, September 24 at 10pm. Uhm, seriously all-star cast play a messy family who can’t seem to get it together. We hear rumors of backstage drama, but check out the cast. We’re kinda beside ourselves excited to see it. With an all-star cast Including Calista Flockhart, Rachel Griffiths, Sally Field, Ron Rifkin, Patricia Wettig, Balthazar Getty, Dave Annable, Matthew Rhys, John Pyper-Ferguson, Tom Skerritt and Sarah Jane Morris.
''Help Me Help You''
Premiering Tuesday, September 26th, at 9:30pm. Sitcom about a shrink who needs a shrink. They seem to be going for Huff meets Bob Newhart – both brilliant shows. Except this one doesn’t have either Blythe Danner or Bob Newhart. Starring Ted Danson, Jere Burns, Suzy Nakamura, Jim Rash, Charlie Finn, Darlene Hunt.
''Ugly Betty''
Premieres Thursday, September 28th at 8pm. Everybody loves an ugly girl who’s no nonsense and the unsung hero of the workplace. Especially when she’s cheerful and good natured. But can’t we help her find a man? With America Ferrera, Eric Mabius, Vanessa Williams, Mark Indelicato, Tony Plana, Ana Ortiz, Ashley Jensen, William Abadie, Alan Dale, Michael Urie, Becki Newton.
“Men in Trees”
Premiering Friday, September 15th at 9pm. ABC seems to be running with a theme here. This one seems to be Huff meets Bob Newhart meets Northern Exposure. And it has Anne Heche as a “relationship” coach in an Alaskan village where she can’t find a man. With Anne Heche, James Tupper, John Amos, Seana Kofoed, Sarah Strange.
''Knights of Prosperity''
Premieres Tuesday, October 17th at 9pm. Okay. So the premise sounds a little suspect, but just crazy enough to work: “Lovable goofballs target Mick Jagger's fabulous apartment for a heist.” Great. Bring it. We will totally watch that. Provided it’s well written and everyone is funny – pure comedy. Starring Donal Logue, Lenny Venito, Josh Grisetti, Maz Jobrani, Sofia Vergara, Kevin Michael Richardson.
''Six Degrees''
Premieres Thursday, September 21st at 10pm. Six strangers in Manhattan affect one another's lives. Everyone is connected, you have to learn to stop and smell the roses. Your boyfriend might be cheating on you, and you’ll only find out through the information from the guy who knows about the thing, with the thing and the … We’ll give it a watch and let you know. Starring, thankfully, Hope Davis, Dorian Missick, Erika Christensen, Bridget Moynahan, Campbell Scott, Jay Hernandez.
''The Class''
Premieres Monday, September 18th, at 8pm. We’re keeping our eye on this one, actually. A couple of decades later, eight former third-grade classmates reunite _ and get reacquainted. No twists, no wild conceits, just an ensemble comedy that might do okay. This is a David Crane show, the guy who produced and wrote “Friends” Also, we love Jason Ritter. Who's starring: Jason Ritter, Heather Goldenhersh, Jon Bernthal, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Lizzy Caplan, Sean Maguire, Lucy Punch, Andrea Anders.
''Jericho''
Premieres Wednesday, September 20th, at 8pm. Small town is isolated from the rest of the world after some sort of nuclear war destroys a good section of the United States. People love disaster movies, so why not an apocalyptic drama starring Skeet Ulrich, Gerald McRaney, Ashley Scott, Sprague Grayden, Kenneth Mitchell, and Pamela Reed.
''Smith'' 
Premieres Tuesday, September 19th at 10pm. Action drama about a crew of big-time criminals who carry out high-stakes heists. Sorry. We were yawning. So, CSI, only in reverse? CBS can really work a formula. With Ray Liotta, Virginia Madsen, Simon Baker, Franky G, Amy Smart, Jonny Lee Miller
''Shark''
Premieres Thursday, September 21st at 10pm. James Woods plays a lawyer with a shark's bite ... with a heart of gold. He has a team of young (and attractive) assistants. He believes that truth is relative, their job is simply to win, and ''justice is God's problem.'' So, it’s a morality tale?. Starring James Woods, with Jeri Ryan, Danielle Panabaker, Sam Page.
August 27, 2006
At this point it's becoming a cliché: Show wins tons-o-Emmys, then show gets cancelled. Are these awards even considered an honor anymore? They're beginning to feel like a bad omen.
But is imitation the sincerest form of flattery?
This summer, HBO announced that Mark Wahlberg, executive producer of “Entourage” (and star the show is based on) will executive produce “In Treatment” -- a show about a therapist who can listen calmly to his patients while having a very hard time dealing with his own anger issues.
This is the third new show for the fall about troubled therapists whose lives are falling apart as they heal people. "Men in Trees" is set to star Anne Heche as a relationship coach (what?) and Ted Danson will star in "Help Me Help You."
Wasn’t there an Emmy-winning, superbly written and flawlessly executed show just like this?
Major networks are stumbling over themselves to get a show on television based on Huff's premise, and Showtime had Blythe Danner, who won two back to back Emmys for her role as "Izzy." Has the world gone mad?
This is not to mention the surprisingly full-ranged Hank Azaria, Emmy-nominated and hilarious Oliver Platt, the shockingly sexy and intelligent Paget Brewster, and the very gifted Anton Yelchin.
The show was originally green-lit for two seasons before the first season was even taped. Studio smarties worked hard to get the word out that this was going to be a hit. Unfortunately, they were persuading a bunch of bad luckers. The execs sent out 12,000 DVDs of "Huff" to Emmy voters! Showtime won a record seven Emmy nominations for "Huff," and they've cancelled it, citing low ratings.
It’s like the Big Bang. We don’t really understand it.
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