You’re hired: TV programmers look to new shows, old hands for midseason jolt

Fri., Jan. 5, 2007

Chuck Barney Contra Costa Times

How will it all end?

That question figures to be on the lips of millions of TV viewers this spring as we at long last prepare to bid farewell to "The Sopranos."

Will Tony (James Gandolfini) wind up sleeping with the fishes? What's in store for Carmela (Edie Falco) and the kids? And who among our Jersey goons will be left standing once the dust settles?

Closure has been a long time in coming. The final eight episodes of a piecemeal Season 6 were supposed to originally launch on HBO in January, but were pushed back to April to allow Gandolfini to recover from knee surgery. Thus, 10 months will have passed since the first half of the season concluded.

Of course, lengthy delays are old hat for "Sopranos" fans, and over time we've learned that it's a fool's errand to attempt to predict what creator David Chase has planned. His plot-wielding tendencies, after all, are almost as difficult to predict as Uncle Junior's mental lapses.

All the uncertainty figures to only heighten the suspense and make these the most eagerly anticipated episodes of the year. To get us primed, HBO will re-air episodes from the first half of Season 6 beginning Jan. 15.

Everyone, it seems, delves into the new year craving a fresh start – especially television programmers.

Resolving to boost their ratings, the networks and cable outlets use January to usher in new shows and welcome back some old favorites, such as “American Idol” and “24.”

Here’s a look at some of the coming attractions:

“”Dirt” (premiered Tuesday, 10 p.m., FX): Courteney Cox returns to television to play a hard-driven tabloid magazine editor who will stop at nothing to dig up filth on Hollywood celebrities, aided by a schizophrenic paparazzo whose bizarre hallucinations are played out on screen. It’s a dark and disjointed drama hampered by starchy dialogue.

““The Knights of Prosperity” (premiered Wednesday, 9 p.m., ABC): A disgruntled janitor (Donal Logue) who aspires to a better life hatches a nutty plan to recruit a band of merry misfits and rob Mick Jagger’s posh New York apartment in this mildly amusing sitcom.

““In Case of Emergency” (premiered Wednesday, 9:30 p.m., ABC): A decent cast (Jonathan Silverman, David Arquette, Greg Germann, Lori Loughlin) fails to rescue this laugh-starved sitcom about former high school classmates who didn’t turn into the people they hoped to be.

““Grease: You’re the One that I Want” (premieres Sunday, 8 p.m., NBC): Is America still hopelessly devoted to “Grease”? The producers of this reality series certainly hope so. The show follows a group of Broadway wannabes as they audition for the lead roles in a new Broadway revival of the musical.

““The Apprentice: Los Angeles” (returns Sunday, 9:30 p.m., NBC): How does Donald Trump pump new life into his sagging reality series? He moves it to Southern California and implements some changes (among them: Project losers sleep outdoors in tents). One thing, however, remains a constant: The Donald’s hairdo.

““The L Word” (returns Sunday, 10 p.m., Showtime): Here’s another show that could use a shakeup. So, for its fourth season, bring on Cybill Shepherd, who debuts in the second episode. She plays a married woman in her 50s who comes out of the closet and ignites an intense family struggle. Marlee Matlin also joins the cast.

““I’m from Rolling Stone” (premieres Sunday, 10 p.m., MTV): More than 2,000 aspiring journalists applied for summer associate positions at the iconic magazine. Only six were accepted. This intriguing reality series follows them as they rub shoulders with celebrities and grapple with deadlines.

““I Love New York” (premieres Monday, 9 p.m., VH1): Fans of “Flavor of Love” will certainly remember New York, aka Tiffany Pollard, the mouthy diva who was jilted twice on the show. Now she has the chance to find her “true love” in this spin-off reality series that will have 20 young (and very brave) men vying for her heart.

““24” (returns Jan. 14, 8 p.m., Fox): The last time we saw super-agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland), he was being pummeled to a pulp on a boat bound for China. Oh, but America needs Jack to save the day once again, and so he’s brought back to deal with a wave of terrorist attacks happening all over the country. Can the show possibly top its turbo-charged fifth season?

““Rome” (returns Jan. 14, 9 p.m., HBO): Season 2 of this violent, lusty and endlessly riveting period drama picks up right where we left off: Caesar lies dead in a pool of blood and various family members and political factions are thrust into a ruthless power struggle. Max Pirkis shines as the increasingly assertive Octavian.

““Extras” (returns Jan. 14, 10 p.m., HBO): Ricky Gervais (“The Office”) returns for a second season of this hysterical comedy about a delusional 40-something actor who just can’t catch a break in Hollywood. Featured cameos include David Bowie, Orlando Bloom, Ian McKellen and Daniel Radcliffe.

““American Idol” (returns Jan. 16, 8 p.m., Fox): Television’s ratings Godzilla is back to trample everything in its path. The musical journey again begins with two straight nights (and four hours) of the always-popular audition sessions. Is there another Kelly Clarkson – or William Hung – in the bunch?

““The Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show” (premieres Jan. 17, 10:30 p.m., Comedy Central): Comedians Dave “Gruber” Allen and David Koechner headline this offbeat show, which features in-studio segments, remote reports from the road and plenty of “high low-brow” humor.

““Rules of Engagement” (premieres Feb. 5, 9:30 p.m., CBS): This new sitcom sounds a lot like Fox’s wretched ” ‘Til Death,” as it observes relationships through the eyes of a newly engaged couple and a long-married pair. David Spade plays a single guy on the prowl.

““The Black Donnellys” (March, NBC): Paul Haggis, the Oscar-winning writer of “Crash” and “Million Dollar Baby,” co-created this drama series that follows the exploits of four young working-class Irish brothers involved in organized crime.

““On the Lot” (spring, Fox): Mark Burnett and Steven Spielberg are the brains behind this reality series that invites viewers into the filmmaking process, following 16 wannabe directors who will create short films each week and compete for a studio development deal.

““John From Cincinnati” (summer, HBO): Writer- producer David Milch wowed us with “Deadwood,” so expectations are high for this new series, which follows a wealthy Ohio native who moves to California and winds up crashing with a whacked-out family of ex-surfers.