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Mid-Season
2005/2006
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Once
again this year, we are including a review of
currently announced Mid-Season programs. Predicting
the success (or failure) of these shows is even
more difficult than with the regular new shows
considering the timeslots are not yet known. Of
course, it is also possible that many of these
Mid-Season shows will never even air (as was the
case last year with NBC’s Men’s Room).
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ABC
--- Half-Hour Sitcom --- Mid-Season
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Premise
Mitch Crumb (Fred Savage) returns home to
check on the family after his mother is released
from a psychiatric hospital. However, his
mother is not the only eccentric member of
the family as Mitch soon learns after reuniting
with his brother as well as his father. Seeing
that the family is still in turmoil, he decides
to move back home.
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Where
Have We Seen This Before
Numerous sitcoms about dysfunctional families
including Everybody Loves Raymond, The
Family Guy, Reba
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Our
Take
The future of this oddly titled sitcom will
depend highly on where it ends up on the schedule.
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Familiar
Faces
Fred Savage (The Wonder Years/Working),
Jane Curtin (SNL/3rd Rock From the Sun),
William Devane (Knots Landing/24),
Maggie Lawson (It’s All Relative)
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ABC
--- Hour Drama --- Mid-Season
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Premise
In a slightly altered version of the procedural
crime drama, this program focuses on the
most important tool used in investigations:
the evidence. Episodes engage the viewer
to solve the crime by letting them see in
order what the investigators see – giving
them the opportunity to solve the case along
with the show.
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Where
Have We Seen This Before
CSI meets CSI: Miami meets
CSI: NY
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Our
Take
On one hand, procedural dramas are incredibly
popular now. On the other hand, ABC does
not have any history with this genre. A
great deal will of course depend on where
it ends up on the schedule.
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Familiar
Faces
Martin Landau (Mission Impossible/Space
1999), Orlando Jones (MadTV/Movie
The Replacements), Nicky Katt (Boston
Public)
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ABC
--- Hour Drama --- Mid-Season
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Premise
A basic plot point found in many shows is
about how an innocent man is convicted for
a crime he did not commit. The team working
at the Justice Project commit their time
to help free the innocent. The team is led
by egotistical attorney David Swayne with
assistance from investigator Charles Conti.
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Where
Have We Seen This Before
The Practice meets The Great Defender
meets Just Legal
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Our
Take
In Justice shares a number of traits
with many successful crime dramas. The question
of course is where it will end up on the
schedule.
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Familiar
Faces
Jason O’Mara (The Agency), Kyle MacLachlan
(Twin Peaks), Constance Zimmer (Good
Morning, Miami)
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ABC
--- Hour Reality --- Mid-Season
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Premise
Medicine comes to the forefront in this
program as it brings hope to patients who
feel they have lost it all. Through the
use of innovative medical treatments, the
doctors surpass the patients’ expectations
and become Miracle Workers.
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Where
Have We Seen This Before
Extreme Home Makeover meets Extreme
Makeover
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Our
Take
Extreme Makeover found success in
showing people improving their bodies. Additionally,
Extreme Home Makeover made great strides
in showing people improving their lives.
In theory, Miracle Workers (pending
the final product) can tug on the same heart
strings.
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Familiar
Faces
Unknown
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ABC
--- Half-Hour Sitcom --- Mid-Season
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Premise
Sons & Daughters comes from creator
Fred Goss and is similar to his previous
series Significant Others in
that it is a mixture of scripted sitcom
and improvisation. The plot follows
the story of Cameron Walker (Fred Goss)
and how he deals with his parents, siblings
and children.
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Where
Have We Seen This Before
The short-run series Hidden Hills
and Living in Captivity
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Our
Take
From the perspective of the viewer,
Sons & Daughters does appear
somewhat different than the typical
sitcom. Of course, different can either
be good or bad depending on where the
show lands and how viewers receive it.
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Familiar
Faces
Fred Goss (Significant Others),
Dee Wallace (Movie E.T.), Max
Gail (Barney Miller)
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Everything
I Know About Men
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CBS
--- Half-Hour Sitcom --- Mid-Season
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Premise
Very little is known about this
sitcom other than that it stars
Jenna Elfman as Bex Atwell, a woman
perplexed about men.
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Where
Have We Seen This Before
See Emily’s Reasons Why Not
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Our
Take
Without even a preview clip to review,
the jury is still out on this show.
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Familiar
Faces
Jenna Elfman (Dharma & Greg),
Dabney Coleman (Slap Maxwell/Buffalo
Bill/Movie 9 to 5)
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CBS
--- Hour Drama --- Mid-Season
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Premise
The Unit follows a team of
undercover special forces officers
as they travel the world to protect
national security. The series will
also feature a look at how their
home lives are impacted by their
jobs.
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Where
Have We Seen This Before
The series Call to Glory
also featured a look at the life
of a military man both on and off
the job
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Our
Take
The pilot is intriguing and sets
itself apart from similar shows
by actually portraying the impact
on those left back at home. Of course,
it all depends on where the show
ends up and what the competition
will be.
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Familiar
Faces
Dennis Haysbert (24), Scott
Foley (Felicity), Robert
Patrick (The X-Files/Movie
Terminator 2), Amy Acker
(Angel)
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FOX
--- Half-Hour Sitcom --- Mid-Season
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Premise
Freebirds is another Mid-Season
semi-improvised sitcom. The plot
here revolves around Nate, a young
man forced to move back in with
his parents. Once there, he reunites
with an old girlfriend.
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Where
Have We Seen This Before
Numerous shows about moving back
home including The Ellen Show,
Happy Family, Maggie Winters
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Our
Take
The young-skewing Freebirds
pilot is highly amusing. The mixture
of scripted lines and improvisation
really works for this show. On the
other hand, this show (and its humor)
may skew a little young for some
viewers.
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Familiar
Faces
None
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NBC
--- Hour Drama --- Mid-Season
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Premise
Reverend Daniel Webster has
a troubled relationship with
his family and the church hierarchy.
Complicating matters further
is his addiction to prescription
drugs. On the positive side,
he receives help via direct
communications from Jesus.
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Where
Have We Seen This Before
Revelations meets
Joan of Arcadia
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Our
Take
Book of Daniel has been
receiving some positive buzz.
One key issue may be if the
show is too religious (or possibly
even sacrilegious) for some
viewers. The pilot itself is
really not all that controversial.
Of course, viewers may or may
not give it a chance to find
out.
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Familiar
Faces
Aidan Quinn (Empire Falls),
Ellen Burstyn (That’s Life/Movie
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya
Sisterhood)
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NBC
--- Half-Hour Sitcom --- Mid-Season
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Premise
The Four Kings are four
life-long friends who move into
a posh New York apartment after
one of them inherits it from
his grandmother. The series
will follow the personal lives
of the four friends as they
begin to accept the responsibilities
of adulthood.
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Where
Have We Seen This Before
The short-lived series Oh
Grow Up and Pig Sty
also featured bachelors living
together
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Our
Take
NBC has a real problem with
sitcoms these days. They may
have a challenge finding a spot
for this program on their schedule
given that they only have two
hours of sitcoms a week.
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Familiar
Faces
Josh Cooke (Committed),
Seth Green (Buffy the Vampire
Slayer/The Family Guy/The
Austin Powers movies)
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NBC
--- Half-Hour Sitcom --- Mid-Season
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Premise
After formerly overweight Mary
finds herself at her goal weight,
she has trouble accepting who
she has become. Complicating
matters are her still-heavy
family and how she is treated
by friends and co-workers.
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Where
Have We Seen This Before
A reoccurring subplot of Friends
involved the fact that Monica
was once overweight
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Our
Take
While many of those who have
seen this pilot feel it is hysterical,
overweight previewers have been
somewhat sensitive. Considering
that a significant portion of
America is overweight, the question
is if people can laugh at themselves.
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Familiar
Faces
Jessica Capshaw (The Practice),
Sharon Gless (Cagney & Lacey),
Martin Mull (Roseanne),
Chris Parnell (Saturday Night
Live)
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NBC
--- Hour Drama --- Mid-Season
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Premise
Originally developed for
FOX, Windfall follows
a group of diverse individuals
whot suddenly find their
lives turned completely
around after becoming millionaires
from a lottery win.
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Where
Have We Seen This Before
Melrose Place meets
the unhappiness of wealthy
people on Dallas
meets the short-lived series
Lottery
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Our
Take
Windfall is a typical
soap opera and includes
the normal intense scenes
associated with the genre.
Viewers expecting to see
happy Lottery winners will
be somewhat surprised.
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Familiar
Faces
Luke Perry (Beverly Hills
90210/Jeremiah) Jason
Gedrick (Boomtown/Movie
Iron Eagle), Sarah
Wynter (24/Dead Zone)
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FOX
--- Hour Drama --- Mid-Season
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Premise
Two best friends get
caught up in the seedy
life of South Beach
and are slowly exposed
to what is hidden behind
the glitz and glamour.
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Where
Have We Seen This Before
Melrose Place on
the Beach
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Our
Take
Only a small preview
clip was available for
preview. As such, a
true feel for this show
is premature.
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Familiar
Faces
Former Miss America
Vanessa L. Williams
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WB
--- Hour Drama --- Mid-Season
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Premise
With New York as the
backdrop, college life
is explored among students
in a college course
on human behavior and
sexuality.
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Where
Have We Seen This Before
Other shows about college
life include Felicity
and Class of ‘96
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Our
Take
A viewing of the complete
pilot - whih is being
retooled - reveals a
show that is probably
tamer than a description
of the plot would seem
to indicate. Regardless,
the theme of the program
may still scare away
advertisers which may
make WB more quick to
cancel this show if
it performs below expectations.
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Familiar
Faces
Matthew Modine (Movies
Married to the Mob/Any
Given Sunday), Milo
Ventimiglia (The
Gilmore Girls)
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WB
--- Half-Hour Sitcom
--- Mid-Season
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Premise
Misconceptions
features Jane Leeves
as Amanda Watson, mother
of a 13-year-old daughter
who was conceived via
artificial insemination.
To Amanda’s concern,
her daughter now wants
to meet her “father.”
Unfortunately, the donor
will not necessarily
live up to Amanda’s
expectations.
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Where
Have We Seen This Before
The Movie Made in
America
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Our
Take
Misconceptions
is another Mid-Season
comedy that is funnier
than many of the shows
that made it on the
Fall schedule. Assuming
viewers are not offset
by the plot and it finds
the right timeslot,
this show could perform
as well as your typical
2005/2006 sitcom.
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Familiar
Faces
Jane Leeves (Frasier),
French Stewart (3rd
Rock From the Sun)
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WB
--- Half-Hour Sitcom
--- Mid-Season
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Premise
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer
jumps into the comedy
realm as he explores
the fast-paced world
of dating, from
a man’s perspective.
Modern Men
follows three childhood
friends as they
hire Dr. Stangel,
a life coach, to
help them with their
relationships.
Note: While
Dr. Stangel was
played by Wendy
Malick in the pilot,
the character will
reportedly be played
by Jane Seymour
in the series.
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Where
Have We Seen This
Before
The Bob Newhart
Show meets The
Secret Lives of
Men and/or Oh
Grow Up
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Our
Take
The key question
here is how possible
recasting might
impact the chemistry
of the show.
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Familiar
Faces
George Wendt (Cheers),
Jane Seymour (Dr.
Quinn, Medicine
Woman)
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WB
--- Hour Drama
--- Mid-Season
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Premise
Aspiring news
anchor Pepper
Dennis has just
lost the coveted
anchor position
to a man she
just picked
up the night
before. Complicating
her life even
further is a
loss of independence
at home when
her recently
separated sister
moves in with
her.
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Where
Have We Seen
This Before
The movie
Bruce Almighty
without any
special powers
meets The
Brian Ben Ben
Show
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Our
Take
The pilot was
pleasant and
funny at times.
As with all
the Mid-Season
shows, it all
depends on the
eventual time
slot.
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Familiar
Faces
Rebecca Romijn
(The X-Men
movies),
Brooke
Burns (North
Shore)
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