Mr. TV: Everyone's a Critic

Every year something unexpected seems to break at Television Critics Association Press Tour (TCA), and the big news on the eve of the start of the summer festivities was the unexpected departure of ABC Entertainment president Steve McPherson. There is speculation aplenty why he exited, but I’ll make no judgment calls. Of all the entertainment heads, he was the most accessible, and I will miss that unprecedented dialogue.Replacement Paul Lee, who ran ABC Family and who had the difficult task of facing the press, avoided the McPherson-related questions by trying to focus on the upcoming big picture at ABC. Considering he’d been in the job less than a week, Lee came across as calm, cool and very knowledgeable. Given his successful track record at ABC Family, I’m looking forward to seeing the type of programming he brings to ABC.Also aflutter in the TCA conversation pool was the American Idol chaos, with Ellen DeGeneres out, Kara DioGuardi’s future in jeopardy, and Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler rumored to be in. In a perfect world, Fox would let the still valid reality/competition exit with its dignity intact. But this is television, and it's all about bleeding each and every series dry. As for what the exact plans are for Idol next season—surprise, surprise—Fox wasn’t talking.As I do each time I come to TCA, I sit through panels for each new series with my research cap on trying to adequately determine the odds of the show succeeding based on the competition, the lead-in, the former time period performance and the series itself. Is this something that will tap into the current public appetite? Did I hear something at TCA that will make me change my initial opinion of the series?Before I begin, I have to admit, I feel old. I remember being one of the younger attendees at event, with veteran newspaper reporters across the country scattered in the grand ballroom, sharing their war stories at the lunch buffet of rubber chicken and soggy veggies. But as newspapers continue to downsize, a bevy of young bloggers now populate the TCA sessions.Those newbies and the grizzled vets like me saw panels on each of the networks’ 24 new series as well as established series like Fox’s Glee and The CW’s Gossip Girl. Cable and PBS, meanwhile, were designated two separate days, while Showtime and FX were mixed into CBS and Fox.Last year we were introduced to Modern Family and Glee, which had the critics rightfully buzzing. This year, unfortunately, there hasn’t been one or two new shows that boldly stand out, and that includes NBC’s The Event, which I’m not convinced has breakout potential given the failure of ABC’s similar appeal with FlashForward this season. The severity of airing in the Monday 9 p.m. slot will work against it as well. So, in a nutshell, what we saw was a mix of new shows hoping to find enough of an audience to stay on the air.Of all the upcoming entries, the familiar feel of the Law & Order brand set in a new city, Los Angeles, makes it the most likely series to succeed. While I do not normally endorse revivals, I’m actually optimistic about the new version of CBS’ Hawaii Five-O. There is just something about that classic theme song that gets the adrenaline going, and I completely get why the new edition is more violent. This is 2010, not 1968. I am also positive on ABC’s Better With You, which is positioned well, and think The CW's Nikita could be an option for The Vampire Diaries audience in search of something at 9 p.m. on Thursdays. On the flip side, the race is on to see which show will be the season’s first cancellation. With so much to choose from, my pick is ABC’s My Generation. What sounds creative views like a snore. Also waiting for the early ax to swing could be ABC’s Body of Proof, CBS’ The Defenders and $#*! My Dad Says, Fox’s Raising Hope and Running Wilde, and The CW’s Hellcats. Sadly, there is every reason to believe the number of failures will outweigh the new hits...again.

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Mr. TV: Everyone's a Critic

Marc Berman

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Marc Berman