Prime-time potential
Brides and grooms are in. Stand-up comedians are out. New TV dramas this fall will be more of a laughing matter. New comedies will be packed with characters – the more the merrier.
Those are a few of the key themes unveiled last week as the five broadcast networks previewed shows that will premiere next season.
In searching for the next “Lost” or “Desperate Housewives,” network honchos are tweaking established TV genres (cop shows, medical shows, lawyer shows), recruiting film stars (Ray Liotta, James Woods) and bringing back favorite TV alumni (producer Aaron Sorkin, Calista Flockhart).
Although there was no heavy-duty buzz around a single show like last year – when advertisers and industry insiders eagerly speculated about the prospects of the Chris Rock comedy “Everybody Hates Chris” – several new shows, such as NBC’s “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” and “Friday Night Lights” and ABC’s “Betty the Ugly,” generated positive word of mouth.
“There’s nothing that looks like a blockbuster right now, but this is usually the case,” said Steve Sternberg, executive vice president of audience analysis for Magna Global, a media-buying firm.
“No one thought that ‘Friends’ or ‘ER’ looked like they would be huge hits. On this schedule, there seems to be a lot of shows that could break out.”
What is clear is that dramas are doing better than comedies, and some dramatic creators are taking advantage of that slump by putting humorous elements in their shows.
It’s an approach that is paying off for such current shows as “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Boston Legal” and will be attempted by some new ones: “Studio 60,” from Sorkin, which features an all-star cast and takes a behind-the-scenes look at a late-night sketch-comedy show; ABC’s “Brothers and Sisters,” which looks at the love and friction of a large family; and NBC’s “Raines,” which stars Jeff Goldblum as a quirky LAPD detective who can communicate with murder victims to help solve their slayings.
When it comes to comedies, the networks no longer are relying on stand-up comedians. None of the new prime-time sitcoms revolves around a comic. And with the departure of Ray Romano and the cancellation of “The Bernie Mac Show,” ABC’s “George Lopez” is the only comedian-driven series on the fall schedule.
Instead, most of the new comedies will go the “Friends” route, relying on ensemble casts to allow for more interplay among characters. CBS’ “The Class,” NBC’s “30 Rock” and ABC’s “Big Day,” “Help Me Help You” and “Let’s Rob…” all have large casts of performers yelling out their punch lines.
Weddings and honeymoons are the key to several series. ABC’s “Big Day” follows the hours leading to the wedding ceremony, while newlyweds befriend a long-married couple in the new Brad Garrett comedy, Fox’s ” ‘Til Death.” “The Wedding Album,” premiering midseason on Fox, follows a top wedding photographer.
Adapting the tactics of their dramatic counterparts, comedy producers also have a new subgenre: the serialized comedy. “Big Day” and “Let’s Rob…” will both focus on a single event that unravels through the season. In the case of “Big Day,” it’s the hours leading to the ceremony. With “Let’s Rob…” it’s the ripping-off of rock star Mick Jagger by a gang of inept thieves.
The single-event serial form, considered key to shows such as “24” and “Prison Break,” is being employed in several new dramas as well, including “Kidnapped” and “Vanished.”