The CW: TV To Talk About

It's officially here, the 2009-10 Fall Season has begun and thanks to The CW, it's started in style. As someone who over the past few years has slowly realised that The CW is a network which although aimed at a quite specific demograph, they unusually, managed to capture the minds of many, many more.

They may be the only network with original programming which is

constant, which may not get the highest ratings but also delivers with the biggest buzz and gossip. Maybe thanks to the many years of hard work put into it, pre- CW, it finds itself in a pretty good position.

The network features a lineup of shows that, according to its President of Entertainment, Dawn Ostroff, "appeal to women 18 to 34-years-old." It has styled it's viewer, which may

not come as a surprise to many since the majority of its show are about exactly that: style. Money, sex, glamour, scandal; these are just some of the keywords that come to mind when describing some of the best rated shows on the network. Shows like One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl and 90210, have revived the teenage drama (not since the days of Beverly Hills 90210, Dawson's Creek and The OC) have such shows managed to capture the minds of so many and yet, according to Nielsen, so few!

It therefore doesn't surprise many that their shows do so well thanks to modern day technology, if their demographic is as they say it is, it's those people who use computers,

mobiles and mp3 players in the day to day life. They have never had to live without them, they stream, they download, they email, they recommend, they instant

chat, they record, they do pretty much everything but sit down on the sofa in prime time and watch. Their lives are too fast paced for schedules, they need options, watching on the go. Knowing they can travel to school, to work or to the shops with a copy of the latest episode on their iPods to be watched at their leisure. In the time of PVR's where television can be

recorded without a videotape, it is up to the viewer when they watch the show and therefore despite Nielsen Ratings being quite low for primetime, they don't take into account the fact that Gossip Girl is now the most downloaded programme in the world. They don't take into account that thanks to the internet, people all over the world stream before it's even hit their television screens, people don't want to wait, they want it now and if they can, they want it free.

That is why The CW have it so right. As I said before, they have consistency, ABC, FOX, NBC, CBS, HBO and Showtime, they all may have brilliant shows that we all watch, they may in fact have award winning, ratings winners but they don't quite create the media buzz that The CW shows do. That's because people, all people, pick and choose, there isn't a strict demographic per network, rather per show, some may watch three or four shows from ABC, two from FOX... you get the picture. Many people who watch The CW, watch the majority of it's original output.

Now, I just want to look at it's demograph, first they say they are aiming towards females... where does that leave the guys? Watching Desperate Housewives on ABC? American Idol on FOX? Perhaps I'm being biased, probably, the networks do present shows with a strictly male demographic as well, but well, how can any studio executive exclusively say they want a certain gender watching? I watch Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Brothers & Sisters (shows which many may feel are slightly girly) but on the same hand I watch 24, House, LOST, Dollhouse (shows which many would see as more action, bulky, maybe aimed more at men)

and therefore perhaps networks are forgetting the middlemen, the people who are actually the cross section of television watchers, the TV fiends maybe (I would classify myself as

one!). I'll take a hint of Bree, mixed with Jack and top off with a bit of Serena anyday.

Perhaps, any given network needs to look at itself and understand a little more about the people that watch rather than the statistics?

Look at the new Fall schedules, FOX for example, what is the connection between The Simpsons, House, Glee and So You Think You Can Dance... apart from Glee and Dance having the music aspect, I don't see very much. Look any most other networks, there doesn't seem to be any keywords to describe what the network is presenting, but look at The CW and the story changes.

The CW	8:00 p.m.	8:30 p.m.	9:00 p.m.	9:30 p.m.
Monday	One Tree Hill		Gossip Girl
Tuesday	90210		Melrose Place
Wednesday	America's Next Top Model		The Beautiful Life: TBL
Thursday	The Vampire Diaries		Supernatural
Friday	Smallville		America's Next Top Model (E)

• Midseason: Life UneXpected, Blonde Charity Mafia

Once the season is in full swing, I will be watching at least seven of these shows, quite a record I think. Can you see the connection between them? One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, 90210, Melrose Place: dramatic, sexy, scandalous. The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural, Smallville: sexy, supernatural, magical, powers... I am running out of descriptive words, but I am sure you get my point. There is consistency, there is a certain sort of individual who would enjoy everything that all these shows stand for, because at the end of the day, they are all the same. Now, maybe some would argue that this is boring, they want something different everynight, they want to be surprised, they are actually the minority. The CW cater for those in need of a guilty pleasure fix, they provide what the shows stand for. Teenagers and adults a like who for an hour or so everynight want to get away from their mundane lives and see what the rich live like, how vampires live, how models live: the beautiful people. Many of the stars throughout The CW shows are pin ups, they scream sex appeal, the women and men a like. Perhaps with their newest offering, they only back up that point.

Next time you are watching a CW show remember you are watching a show which is starting to represent your peers. Teenagers with their raging hormones may not go out partying and having sex all the time in real life, it's just not practical, but within the boundaries set by the network, its just normal life. They are fun, dramatic, erotic, imaginary but best of all stylised towards the viewer, not just the females but also men throughout the world enjoy watching shows like Gossip Girl, maybe they get something different out of the show to girls,

maybe they want to be cool like Nate or they just want to watch because Blair is so sexy, but at the end of the day, people are watching. Fans are growing for these shows, there is no use hiding

from it.

90210: The second season of the recently updated show returns to Beverly Hills with a bang. After the amazing season finale earlier this year, Anne is trying to deal with her hit and run, internalising everything. While the rest of the characters finish summer school, thanks to Annie phoning the police on Naomi's post prom party and try to enjoy what is left of their summer. To the beach club, where all the characters apart from Annie are hanging out because money doesn't matter, we can afford

it, darling. Swimming, lying on the beach, sex in a cabana, it's all in a days work and at the end of the day, it's scandal as they return to high school and Naomi has two things on her mind, Liam (last seen being dragged off to Army School) and bringing down Annie (who Naomi thought slept with Annie). This season promises to be as juicy as the previous with new characters including Teddy (who has already caused a stir and looks to be part of the bigger story about the hit and run).

Melrose Place: Another revamp from the 90210 world, this time, set around the apartment block which always promised scandal and suspense. For those who are just starting this world from the 2009 series, may not get the references to older characters from the original series,

but they are cleaned up rather quickly with the death of a major character from the original series, which is becoming the major story line for the first half of this season.

We meet the residents of the Place and see their everyday lives. With a soap style noir seeming to be going on, Melrose looks to be just as big as 90210, with a murder storyline as well as all the secrets that all the characters have.

The Vampire Diaries:

One of this seasons newest shows, based on the books by L.J. Smith, it centres around Elena Gilbert and two vampire brothers, Stefan and Damon, good and evil, fighting for her heart and her soul. Some say this is Twilight for TV but after watching the Pilot, I think this has potential for being darker, more violent and more erotic. It's nice to see Ian Somerhalder back (many will recognise him from LOST where he played Boone) as the dark Damon. This show seems to have an idea of how it wants to treat vampires, not quite as deep as Buffy did, exploring the vampire history, but perhaps giving the vampires back their myths which Stephanie Meyer took away for her series. I look forward to seeing what happens.

The Beautiful Life: I am looking forward to this one starring Mischa Barton (in her first television role since the death of Marissa in The OC). The life of a high-fashion model appears glamorous and sexy, but behind the beautiful façade is a world of insecurity and cut-throat competition. Two teenage models, Raina Marinelli (Sara Paxton, “Last House on the Left”), a stunning beauty with a secret past, and Chris Andrews (Benjamin Hollingsworth, “The Line”), a strikingly handsome Iowa farm boy, living together in a “models” residence in New York, are about to discover this world for themselves. (From The CW press release). Also starring Corbin Bleu looking much more grown up since High School Musical and executively produced by Ashton Kutcher, this looks like a show which has a great idea, let's just see how they execute it.

Gossip Girl: The show gets more and more explosive every year. After the brilliant Season Two finale where the characters thought they would finally be getting away from Gossip Girl (narrated by the amazing Kristen Bell), she tells them that due to Serena's meddling in all affairs Gossipy, they would have the scandal commentator follow them through college (probably the only way to carry the show on as the characters had to leave High School at some point). What did Serena do over the Summer? (From the looks of the trailer, Carter Baizen), is Chuck remaining faithful to Blair?, what is Georgina (the character everybody loves to hate) doing back and staying?, what about Nate and his new girl (played by Joanna Garcia)? and why is Georgina kissing Dan? WTF, watch this fall to find out!

UPDATE: The debut of The CW's THE VAMPIRE DIARIES bared its fangs last night, and scored the network's largest audience EVER (4.84mil) for a series premiere, topping last year's 90210, according to preliminary live plus same day Nielsen ratings for Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009. (from http://www.daemonstv.com)

The genius of Whedon, Abrams, Hirst, Schwartz, Kessler and Zelman, Rhimes and Cherry

So, what do all these names have in common? I’ll tell you… they all write top quality, high rating achieving television. Whether you enjoy a sci-fi conspiracy (Lost, Dollhouse), a guilty pleasure (Gossip Girl), historical drama (The Tudors), a law thriller (Damages) or a drama with interesting, vivid characters (Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy), these writers and creators have consistently created television really worth watching, pretty much since 2004, when ABC suddenly became the forefront of television with Desperate Housewives, Lost and Grey’s Anatomy after around a decade of silence. Now, I am more than sure that each of you have caught at least one episode of at least one of these shows (… or in my case, every episode of every one of these shows!) and whether you personally enjoyed what you saw, these shows have bought people together to discuss what’s going to happen next to the characters, it no longer becomes a matter of finding something to do and channel flicking. No, in a world where series can last years and years and stories become more and more complex, audiences have to have all the facts, they yearn for the knowledge and they return each week to get a little more information about the characters they actually care about.

Caring about characters is relatively new phenomena, which really got going in the 90’s, with sitcoms such as Friends, Cheers, Frasier and Ellen. Studies show that audiences no longer would just flick onto a channel but instead knew that for one day every week, a set of characters that the audience would have come to care about would be put into a new situation, a story for the writers to tell. Since then the craze for character development has grown and almost is as important as plot, no more are the days where soap operas rule the evening schedules, where cheap thrills and over dramatic storylines kept people happy, instead audiences wanted to know what drove the characters and how they would deal with a situation. The idea grew and is still seen today in sitcoms such as Scrubs where not only does the rather surreal life and story of Sacred Heart come to life but also the gratification that the audience receives by watching characters grow with time, it’s reality television without the reality, it’s all scripted and yet over the years characters have to weather storms much like you or me.

So the idea grew, so large that writers understood what the audience wanted. The idea moved throughout the 90’s into comedy dramas such as Ally McBeal where creator, David E. Kelley, took reality and the surreal and made the blur between the both so endearing that audiences were hooked for years on the adventures of Ally (Calista Flockhart) while working at Cage & Fish Law Firm. Then in 2004 serial dramas and stories such as Lost and Desperate Housewives grew, audiences were finally getting realised, no more did they have to succumb to soaps like Days of Our Lives (USA) or Eastenders (UK) but instead were getting character development in the midst of stories that were so strikingly written that institutions such as FOX and NBC were actually afraid of showing this new material and it lay on ABC’s door to produce one of the most expensive pilots of all time for Lost, without even having the confidence that it may get picked up for one season, let alone another five since then and Desperate Housewives which has since become one of the most watched television shows in the entire world with an approximate audience of 120 million people in the target demographic.

Characters such as Bree van de Camp and Blair Waldorf became household names within weeks of the shows premièring and since then have only grown larger and larger. New York Magazine called Gossip Girl, ‘The Best Show Ever,’ and that’s taking into consideration the fact that it only gets around 2-3 million television sets tuning into The CW for the latest drama from the Upper East Side but it’s not taking into consideration the fact that groups of people watch the show together, it’s consistently the highest bought television show on iTunes US (Lost on iTunes UK) and millions watch the show online, these numbers do not affect the Nielsen rating, although if they did Gossip Girl, again would far excel numbers.

Now, it doesn’t make a difference these days whether drama is well written or not, reality television is the forefront of what to expect each television season from both sides of the Atlantic with American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance (from the Strictly Come Dancing franchise- now the most watched television franchise in the history of television) consistently getting the highest numbers in ratings. The same thing is seen in the UK, despite the decreasing favour to shows such as Big Brother, people seem to enjoy Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor far more than any other show, with record breaking numbers (as long as a national treasure such as Doctor Who isn’t on).

But put these exceptions aside, the Simon Cowell’s of the world have enough written about them everyday (especially because most the time, music mogul Simon Cowell is putting these shows out there!), the names Whedon, Abrams, Hirst, Schwartz, Kessler and Zelman, Rhimes and Cherry are all highly recommended by my standards. Shows like Damages and The Tudors take writing to a level, which was rarely seen before the 90’s, shows like The Sopranos and The Wire started this trend of what I like to call clever TV. The aforementioned Damages and The Tudors are very simple concepts, a lawyer who doesn’t like to lost and fiction based on fact respectively but the writing teams on these shows have gone far beyond the mark of good writing, they have exceptional writing. Stories, which will keep you on the edge of your seat, yearning for the next episode and really getting involved with the story.

Damages, created by Todd and Glenn Kessler and Daniel Zelman is the story of Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) who has her own law firm, Hewes & Associates, she is a tough cookie, usually with more balls than the men she is bringing down. She is brilliant, yet ruthless and a fascinating teacher to Ellen Parsons (Rose Bryne), she blows hot and cold and don’t get in her way, her bark is worse than her bite. Clichés aside, the debut season finds Hewes attempting to win a class-action lawsuit against the former CEO of a corporation (Ted Danson) on behalf of his former workers. The second season revolves around Patty's relationship with a man from her past (William Hurt) and how she is thrown into a new cutthroat case against a big energy company, while Ellen seeks revenge against Patty. Damages has received critical acclaim and numerous television awards, including a Golden Globe and three Emmy Awards for its first season. The show is noted for its nonlinear narrative, frequent use of plot twists, technical merit, season-long storylines and the acting ability of its cast. You’re going to have to watch it to find out more, season three is currently in production.

The Tudors, created by Michael Hirst is a historical fiction television series based upon the reign of English monarch Henry VIII (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), and is named after the Tudor dynasty. Season One chronicles the period of Henry VIII's reign in which his effectiveness as King is tested by international conflicts as well as political intrigue in his own court, while the pressure of fathering a male heir compels him to reject his wife Katherine of Aragon (Maria Doyle Kennedy) for Anne Boleyn (Natalie Dormer). He also has a string of affairs, and fathers a son, Henry, by Elizabeth Blount. Season Two finds Henry as the head of the Church of England, the result of his break with the Catholic Church, which refused to grant him a divorce from Katherine. During his battle with Rome, he secretly marries Anne, who is pregnant. Anne's own failure to produce a son dooms her as Henry's attention shifts toward Jane Seymour. Season three started in April in the USA and is due over the summer to start on BBC 2. The acting from Meyers shows the King in a new light, no longer the fat old man who ate all day but instead the jouster, musician, lover and father which not too many know of King Henry VIII.

Now, if these don’t tempt you (much like maki roll in Yo! Sushi), why not try another well-written show. Medical drama’s don’t come much more popular than the Emmy Award-winning American medical drama series created by the late novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 1994 to April 2009… haven’t guessed… ER. The show ran for 15 seasons, becoming the longest-running medical drama in American primetime television history. It won 22 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series (1996), and received 123 Emmy nominations, the most of any television show in history and fully launched the careers of George Clooney and Parminder Nagra (Bend It Like Beckham). Except I, personally think I could do one better, leaving where ER left off, Grey’s Anatomy has taken place. Set in Seattle Grace Hospital, Grey’s Anatomy tells the tale of a group of interns (season 1) turn residents (season 3-present) and how they deal with working in a hospital with their fellow attendings and the interns that they have to look after and teach. Some say more a soap opera than a medical drama, others would say a definite mix, but I feel this is what makes it unique, the show isn’t exclusively about medicine (although with cases like pipes going through two people, huge boat crashes and bombs going off inside of people, literally!), it also deals with the love lives, the emotional train wrecks and day-to-day adventures which they all go through. The casting is beyond a doubt one of the best on today, with names like Chandra Wilson, Katherine Heigl, Sandra Oh, Ellen Pompeo, Kevin McKidd and Patrick Dempsey, this is one class A act that I wouldn’t recommend you miss. Season Five is currently airing in the US.

Still haven’t found what you like? Try Joss Whedon’s new creation, Dollhouse starring Eliza Dushku. Remember him? He created the classic Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it’s spin- off, Angel and the recent online comedy musical, Dr Horrible. Come into 2009, the 21st century where anything technological is possible, enter (or watch), Dollhouse. This is the story of an underground facility called The Dollhouse, insider are actives or dolls who are blank memory slates, they walk around all day smiling, but they real people, these are people who have signed their lives over (or been persuaded by the very British, Adelle DeWitt played by the very British, Olivia Williams). Then when someone with a lot of money wants to ‘rent’ a Doll for an assignment, they have a memory imprinted into them, they fulfil someone’s fantasy or pretend they are FBI for the day before coming back for their ‘treatment’, a complete memory wipe back to their Doll form. The point of Dollhouse? It’s not just a chance for the actors to dress up as different characters each episode and have a bit of fun, oh no. Throw in a suspended FBI agent who has been tracking the Dollhouse, sleeper actives who could be anyone, inside moles, Dolls starting to recover memories from past assignments or from their former lives and you get just an inkling of what Dollhouse is about. Season One is about to start on FX on Sky in the UK and if you want to start watching any sci-fi show this year, I would recommend this. Preserve for the first few episodes, Whedon is simply trying to get the audience to learn about the House and the characters, what makes them tick and what could be lurking behind closed doors. Also, if you want the quirky humour of Buffy, it’s here but not as prevalent, there is a lot going for Dollhouse, people just need to give it a chance.

Finally, how about I throw in some Gossip Girl, Desperate Housewives and Lost. The only way you don’t know all about these is if you have been living underneath a rock for the last five years. Did you used to watch The OC? Then you surely started Gossip Girl. Watch Alias? Then I bet you started watching Lost for you JJ Abrams fix. Enjoy films like American Beauty, then Desperate Housewives is for you. Whether it be a guilty pleasure or are fascinated by what really happens underneath the sheen of suburbia, one of these shows will wet your appetites.

So, what have we learnt? Plot isn’t everything (although vitally important at the same time), character driven shows are becoming (or have become) all the rage and I watch just about everything on television. What do you watch? Maybe I’m biased but I feel that the gift of great writing, fantastic acting and beautiful cinematography is one of the best things you can be given. I thank these writers every week for granting me this gift, to be able to learn from them and they don’t even know it. It’s fascinating, slightly voyeuristic, but isn’t all television?

Two new characters join 'Gossip Girl'

Two new characters will reportedly be joining Gossip Girl later this year.

According to TV Guide, theatre star Aaron Tveit has been cast as Nate Archibald's (Chace Crawford) wealthy cousin Tripp Vanderbilt, while Holley Fain will play Tripp's fiancée Maureen.

The couple will appear in two forthcoming episodes which will show Nate attempting to reconcile with his mother's family.

Tveit is most famous for his role as Fiyero in Wicked on Broadway, while Fain has made guest appearances in Law And Order: Criminal Intent and Lipstick Jungle.

Last month, it was announced that Michelle Trachtenberg would be reprising the role of scheming Georgina Sparks later this year.

Source: DigitalSpy

Leona Lewis- I Will Be

Have fans got over 'Run'? Surely that cover divided fans of Leona and Snow Patrol alike but here the growing Princess of Pop returns with her new single (in US only), 'I Will Be'. Billboard magazine stated that "I Will Be" was "paved in gold" and that it was "propelled by a killer vocal that Mariah Carey would adore, gargantuan production that scoops up a heap of cumulus clouds and a chorus and bridge that boast indelible pop songwriting." The video starring Leona and Gossip Girl star Chace Crawford shows the two on the run with lots of money, think a sort of Bonnie & Clyde scenario... how does the video end? Watch and see...

Would just like to say...

I hope everyone has had a good 2008 and has a great new year...
In the mean time, watch out for Christmas Television specials such as Dr Who on BBC 1 (Xmas Day, 6pm), Wallace & Gromit on BBC1 (Xmas Day, 8.30pm) and The 39 Steps on BBC 1(28th Dec, 8pm).

I have decided to write my favourites of this year, some great stocking fillers :D

Top Albums-
1. Folie A Deux- Fall Out Boy
2. Day & Age- The Killers
3. Funhouse- Pink

Top Films-
1. Mamma Mia!
2. Burn After Reading
3. Cloverfield/27 Dresses/HSM 3/Wall-E
(Was I really going to pick just three films?)

Top Reading-
1. Just After Sunset- Stephen King
2. How To Lose Friends & Alienate People- Toby Young (I know this is old but rerelease in 2008)
3. The Hours- Michael Cunningham/The Lovely Bones- Alice Sebold/Out- Natsuo Kirino/American Psycho- Bret Easton Ellis

Top Television-
1. Gossip Girl Season 2
2. Desperate Housewives Season 5
3. Grey's Anatomy Season 5
4. Spooks Series 8

Favourite personalities of 2008-
1. Leona Lewis
2. Alan Carr
3. Annie Lennox

What deserves to go? Cancellation 2008 (+ How the Half Hour Sitcom Returns)

It's that time of year again, although it seems that some of the biggest names are in for the chance of a lifetime, to be cancelled.
After scrolling through the latest numbers, the viewing public are changing their methods. Instead of watching the weekly serials, where we must watch each episode to understand the story, instead don't have enough time. Or is that the case? Is it actually the fact that television is dumbing down, do we prefer to watch the half hour sitcom where we actually get 20 mins of comedy and 10 of commercials?
With numbers for the recent, 'How I Met Your Mother' reaching an all time high (9.8 Million viewers) and Heroes with it's matched low from last week (7.6 Million), this really begs the question, what are we turning the watch?
As an avid viewer of The CW's 'Gossip Girl', I was surprised to see that the recent Thanksgiving episode, 'The Magnificent Archibald's' got the lowest rating for this series, with just under 3 million and The CW's misery does not stop there, 'One Tree Hill' has been slipping under the strain of the half hour sitcom as well.
After the recent news that NBC's new drama, 'My Own Worst Enemy' staring Christian Slater has been cancelled after only nine episodes, although NBC has not officially annouced this (they prefer not to admit they failed). But the drama came over whether 'Lipstick Jungle' is cancelled. Variety initially cited sources as saying Lipstick was done, but nothing ever officially came down from NBC.
New York Time Report-
"As of this week, the show is breathing again. The reason: it showed signs of life this past Friday, and it picked up 50 percent more viewers when delayed viewing (from DVRs and other devices) was included in the episode a week earlier.
The show also received an outpouring of support from fans.
Ben Silverman, the co-chairman of NBC Entertainment, said Monday that NBC will now definitely finish the 13 episodes that the network originally ordered -- it has 4 more episodes to run -- and may order more if the show "grows more.""
Says star Brooke Shields:
"They thought that because My Own Worst Enemy has been shut down that the same thing had happened to us, and it's not true. They're not breaking down the sets. We're still working. We still have more to do, so it's erroneously presented that we've been canceled, thank God.
Our bosses are saying, 'You're not canceled, don't worry. We're just trying to figure out how to make this make sense.'"

My eyes are currently on shows like 'Heroes', it seems with ever decreasing ratings throughout the current season, has seen the internet rife with rumours that NBC's current best friend could be shoved off.
Tim Kring has urged more people to start watching Heroes during its current season. Speaking at a recent Screenwriting Expo, he urged potential viewers to "come on in" because "the water’s fine", according to Sy Fy Portal. “You can hop on the train and you won't have missed too much," he said.
Ratings for the show have steadily decreased during the third season, prompting Kring to speculate that current viewing habits are to blame. "It's a very flawed way of telling stories on network television right now because of the advent of the DVR and online streaming," he claimed. "So [watching it] on air is related to the saps and the dips***s who can't figure out how to watch it in a superior way."
Now, is it just me or this either sarcasm or just rudeness, one way or another, something could very easily have been taken out of context, but for Kring to even say something like this, begs the question, how much is this show for the viewers.
To just invite new viewers weeks in season three? What about the loyal viewers? What about all those people who have tangled with the story of the superheroes since Season 1?

A show which has already been placed in the cancellation zone before it's even premiered is Joss Whedon's new drama, 'Dollhouse'.
Let me count the ways when it comes to Joss Whedon's 'Dollhouse' and it's cancellation:

1. Whedon already has a sordid history with FOX. Do you remember Firefly? Whedon original, FOX cancelled. Shelf life: 12 episodes (3 unaired), sometimes aired out of order (the original pilot was aired on FOX only after the show was canceled).
2. Whedon reshoots the pilot. Apparently the first one didn't make all that much sense.
3. Production delay of 2 weeks.
4. More production delays.
5. The new trailer looks intriguing, yet reveals no additional direction for the series from the old trailer. For a show being accused of being aimless, that ain't good.
6. And the killer: FOX slots Dollhouse on Fridays. It premieres February 13th at 9PM. Historically, nobody watches show on Fridays unless they're CBS crime procedurals. Recent Friday deaths: Moonlight, The Ex List, Lipstick Jungle (maybe?). Also soon to be dead: Crusoe. There you go, decide what you will but it seems FOX are in no way happy to extend the relation with Whedon longer than they have to.

Another show rumoured to be coming to an end is the FOX baby, 'Prison Break'.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, cast and production members from Prison Break have been told by FOX that they may be filming an additional two episodes this season, but it may come with a huge catch.
They also report that those extra two episodes may serve as a series finale...yep, a series finale.
The idea behind the logic starts with Prison Break's ratings, which are down (surprise!), but also includes the fact that Prison Break was not placed on Fox's recent midseason schedule (House and 24 will be moving to Mondays, and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles was ostracized to Fridays, is that a sign?).
Prison Break is routinely one of those shows that is on the bubble when it comes time to cancel shows, but its ardent fan base has kept it afloat.
However, the two episodes could serve as a non-series-ending "event" (like 24: Redemption) that would air later, or could be DVD extras. It's all quite confusing at this point.
Again, this is all conjecture at the moment.

And 'Pushing Daisies', remember the show that was going to change the face of fantasy television forever?
The facts are these: Things aren't looking good for our beloved Pushing Daisies. The ABC drama, once cherished as a breath of fresh air in another monotonous television season is now surrounded by the putrid stink of death.
Production on the show's initial 13-episode order wraps up today, and guess what...ABC still hasn't ordered more from the Pushing Daisies producers.
According to TVWeek.com, ABC spokespeople have stated that no decision has been made yet on Pushing Daisies, but all signs point to "see ya, wouldn't want to be ya!"
Ratings for Pushing Daisies have declined dramatically from its debut season, despite the fact that the quality of season two seems to be on par with season one. Many blame the writers' strike, which shortened season one and left ABC to decide between bringing the show back for a few episodes late last year, or take a break and bring it back full-force for a reintroduction this season. ABC chose the latter, and it's believed that the plan backfired.
So what's the plan if Pushing Daisies is canceled? Well, it's good news for Heroes, oddly enough. The incredibly talented creator of Pushing Daisies, Bryan Fuller, told EW.com that he would be open to returning to Heroes, where he worked on season one (not coincidentally the show's finest season by far, although with Heroes current state, I would question that).
"I am exclusive to Daisies through the delivery of the 13th episode of our 13-episode order, which will be mid-January," Fuller told EW.com. "If Daisies isn't picked up by then, I will definitely be going back to play with my friends at Heroes."
Fuller also said that should Pushing Daisies get wiped off the face of television, he would like to finish the story in graphic novel form. Just keep the bright colors and witty dialogue, please, and let Chuck and Ned get it on for Pete's sake!
Mourn with us, Pushing Daisies fans. And for those who can't get enough Daisies, I highly recommend checking out Fuller's Daisies-esque Wonderfalls on DVD. (Bonus: Lee Pace was in that too, and yeah, that was canceled before its time as well.)

FX has set return dates for original hourlong dramas "Nip/Tuck" and "Damages."
"Nip/Tuck" will begin the first leg of its sixth season on Tuesday, Jan. 6, at 10 p.m., queuing up for an eight-episode run. Series, which stars Dylan Walsh and Julian McMahon as successful plastic surgeons, is tops in its target demo of adults 18-34 among basic-cable originals.
"Damages," meanwhile, will begin its second 13-episode campaign Wednesday, Jan. 7, at 10 p.m. Series star Glenn Close is coming off an Emmy win for lead actress.

Other shows in the danger zone this season include Chuck, Dirty Sexy Money and Smallville... we will just have to see.

So to the arguement in question, the half hour sitcom seems to be doing pretty well at the moment. Dip in and out when you want, within minutes of watching an episode you understand what is happening. Samantha Who?. The Big Bang Theory. How I Met Your Mother. Would you like me to continue? Do we have the time anymore to watch serials? Can people not be bothered to wonder what is happening from week to week about Seattle Grace or The Upper East Side? Or is it simply television dumbing down? Is 20 mins of situation comedy enough from day to day... is the time span of television watchers decreasing? With the already rampid demostrations from groups telling us that television is rotting our brain, is this just another sign that really as a group of people, we just don't care. Has our emotional attachment to storylines and development of characters gone so far? Is this the point of no return?

Sources: Variety Magazine, TV.com, Sidereel.com, DigitalSpy.com

Gossip Girl Stars Talk Politics

Gossip Girl stars Blake Lively & Penn Badgley join a chorus of young voices asking their parents to save their future by voting for Barack Obama. Directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity & Mr and Mrs Smith)
It seems more and more young people are getting excited about voting for the USA Presidential Election, they are becoming excited about voting Obama (not ALL, just a lot!). So political activists 'MoveOn' have produced this video which hopefully will drum the point home, it's not just the teens who need to vote but their parents, is older politics, right politics?

From MoveOn.org
"What is MoveOn™?

The MoveOn family of organizations brings real Americans back into the political process. With over 3.2 million members across America – from carpenters to stay-at-home moms to business leaders – we work together to realize the progressive promise of our country. MoveOn is a service – a way for busy but concerned citizens to find their political voice in a system dominated by big money and big media.

The MoveOn family of organizations is made up of a couple of different pieces. MoveOn.org Civic Action, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, formerly known just as MoveOn.org, primarily focuses on education and advocacy on important national issues. MoveOn.org Political Action, a federal PAC, formerly known as MoveOn PAC, mobilizes people across the country to fight important battles in Congress and help elect candidates who reflect our values. Both organizations are entirely funded by individuals.

Every member has a voice in choosing the direction for both MoveOn.org Political Action and MoveOn.org Civic Action. Using our ActionForum software, you can propose priorities and strategies. Both organizations also take the initiative to organize quick action on other timely issues that our members care about."

And the video-

Now here is the question, is right that groups such as this are using teens to help with the vote and in such a way as using GG stars... is this not just propaganda? Or is this the undercurrent of teen politics that we have been waiting for? Has this election not stirred more minds to thinking about politics and although to the rest of the world this election seems a little like a dog eat dog competition, are these groups getting it right by using stars in this way?

For more information about teens speaking to their parents about the effects of voting McCain, visit HERE

Fall 2008-2009

*SPOILER ALERT*

It’s that time of year again. The time when the leaves start to fall from the trees and only the smell of warm coffee can wake you up in the morning, of course you would prefer not to leave the house because there is so much new television that you want to watch! (Or is that just me?)
Fall 2008 promises more of the usual sex, scandal, comedy, drama, super heroes and breaking out of prison (against my will Prison Break is STILL on!). Some of the biggest names around are coming back for new seasons, including Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Heroes, Gossip Girl and Ugly Betty. As well as all these the return of a revamped CSI: Las Vegas (watch Gil Grissom move on being replaced by the Matrix’s Laurence Fishbourne) and it’s sister shows, NY and Miami, along with a sprinkling of NCIS, Without a Trace, Bones, Smallville and Everybody Hates Chris.

2008 also promises some brand new shows including JJ Abrams’ (Lost) Fringe, Alan Ball’s (Six Feet Under) True Blood and a new spinoff , 90210 (yes, Beverly Hills, you got it right!). Plus watch out for Dollhouse, Joss Whedon’s (Buffy) new series in early 2009.

Without further ado, let’s cast our minds back to the beginning of September. While we were making our way back to school with little trepidation, our Stateside friends were gearing up for what was the most talked about show of last Fall, Gossip Girl. However, while the name of the show seems gender specific, it’s actually enjoyable for boys and girls alike. Created and produced by Josh Schwartz (The OC & Chuck), GG follows the lives of Manhattan’s Elite teenagers, living in the Upper East Side. Whether it’s shopping at Mendel’s, drinking at the newest and exclusive bar or having sex in the back of a limo, GG has it all! Despite only ranking in the 20’s in the Nielsen ratings last year, New York Magazine called it “The Best Show Ever!” What one has to bear in mind is that these ratings don’t account for the DVR/TiVo recordings, illegal online views, and the fact that it is the most bought television show on iTunes US! So instead of its average of 2 million in reality its closer to 20! Season two of Gossip Girl has been compared to a teen version of Sex and The City. The CW network’s new tongue in cheek marketing campaign features the stars in various states of undress, with captions of critical jabs from the press like, “Every parent’s nightmare.”
Unfortunately, The CW finds itself in a position of needed change. Last year, only the second year from precursors The WB and UPN, saw the average ratings at 2.3 million. If The CW are going to see the year through they are going to need to reach higher ratings than that, so could they be looking to GG as their last hope? Schwartz doesn’t seem to think so; “That’s on 90210.” Executive Producer Stephanie Savage says, “We just have to keep the show as good as possible, so if something happens, it has a life of its own.” As we watch the events unfold, there is always one thing sure, scandal will ensue. Who is going out with whom? Which of our elite will be the top of the pack? By next week all could change and the Queen of the UES could be at the bottom of the pile.

Gossip Girl, teen drama at it’s best, highly recommended!

Another show returning this year that needs no introduction is Desperate Housewives. Now, I am sure there are some of us who are trying to hide the fact they watch this show religiously. Slowly becoming one of the most watched shows in history with approx 120 million viewers, the story of four women hit our screens five years ago and since then, the secrets of suburbia have never been the same. A cocktail of murder, sex & lies have made this show the phenomenon that it is today. The Season Four finale shook everyone up by fast-forwarding the show five years. So what will life be like on Wisteria Lane in the future? Season Four’s mystery character, Katherine (Dana Delany), is still a resident, and Edie (Nicollette Sheridan) arrives back on the block with her new husband. But things are not simple when it comes to Fairview, and as creator Marc Cherry has said he’s not just a love interest, he’s a guy “who moves onto the street for revenge.” Mother of two, Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) has deglamourised, juggling her blind husband, her two girls and facing the fact that age and life are taking it’s toll. Other news for the new series, did Susan (Teri Hatcher) and Mike (James Denton) split up? Why was she in the arms of another man last season? These questions will all be answered, as it has something to do with a “tragic accident”. I’ve seen the season five premiere and it promises to be the best yet, including all the humour and drama from the past years plus so much more!

Desperate Housewives, dramady perfection, do not miss!

How about something new? Fox’s Fringe, a blend of X Files and Bones from Alias and Lost creator JJ Abrams. Dawson’s Creek veteran, Joshua Jackson plays Peter Bishop, the genius son of another (may I add slightly insane) genius scientist, Walter Bishop. Walter starts with his research into Fringe Science – mind control, psychic powers and teleportation. Thrown together with an FBI agent, they investigate an outbreak of paranormal intrigue known as the “Pattern”. All involved in this show promise that it will not become bogged down by it’s own mythology, meaning there will be plenty of stand alone episodes that cater to the casual viewer. The two hour $10 million pilot was impressive, save the airplane crash at the beginning (Hasn't JJ already done that?). It seems that the dead can be questioned, a disease is eating people alive and robotic arms are being added on people… I certainly was intrigued and find that this perhaps may cater to more than Lost.

Fringe, science fiction too far? I don’t think so.

Beverly Hills, 90210 Fans put your hands up! I don’t think many of us with our Blackberries and mp3 players can successfully say we have paid too much attention to this, but maybe the generation before us? The show that defined a generation is back again. The OC, One Tree Hill & Gossip Girl watchers get ready for the next melodrama, 90210. At the centre of the storm are the Wilsons, who move from Kansas to Beverly Hills after Dad; Harry becomes the principle at West Beverly High. They move in with Harry’s midday drinking mother, Tabitha, plus wife Debbie, all American daughter Annie and adopted son, Dixon. For the older fans, the return of Jennie Garth as Kelly Taylor and Shannen Doherty as Brenda promise to stir up some old memories (plus rumours of other cast members returning!)

90210. Newport, New York, Palm Beach. Beverly Hills is the place to be!

So at the end of the day, you have plenty of choice. Do you want comedy (How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, Chuck, Pushing Daisies), drama (Dirty Sexy Money, Brothers & Sisters, House), sci-fi (Ghost Whisperer, Life on Mars US (remake!), Supernatural)? Whatever your preference, there is ALWAYS something to watch.

Gossip Girl 2x01: Summer Kind of Wonderful

Last Monday, the most talked about show of last fall returned. Over the past year Gossip Girl has become a global phenomenon, being shown in over 30 countries, the show has gone from strength to strength. New York Magazine called it the 'best show ever' and season two returns with all the promise for more sex, lies and scandal from Manhattan's elite.
Picking up at the end of the summer where season one left off we join Serena, Nate and Chuck in the Hamptons where steamy doesn't even come close. Whether it's making out in a car or topless sunbathing on the beach, the first five minutes of episode one starts where the season means to go on. But when Blair arrives in town we realise hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and when you promise to meet Blair, you shouldn't break that promise... Chuck. She arrives with a new beau in tow, James, a sure fire way to make Chuck jealous.
While back in Brooklyn, Dan 'lonely boy' Humphrey, is no longer lonely and while trying to juggle a story that he has promised to write about a failed relationship, an internship with one of his idols and trying to forget about Serena, he forgets what makes Dan, the good boy.
I loved this episode, partly because I so wanted Gossip Girl to return and partly because it was a good episode but there was one fatal flaw. Although the Hamptons marks one of the most luxurious parts in the country, Gossip Girl just could not rely on the setting. It was missing New York, the show's main character. We all look forward to seeing the sights, as they sit on the steps of the Met or Brooklyn Bridge but take this away and unfortunately it feels like a good friend is missing. Apart from that the story was lighthearted and bitchy, the ideal mix for this show and a surprising turn from Serena's grandmother! My highlight was any scene between Blair and Chuck, they are such good actors and the emotion between them is shown so well on screen. "Three words, eight letters," that's all it took for Chuck to get his girl but not yet!
Finally the old Jenny was back, she fell off the social ladder at the end of season one and after reconcilling with Erik, it seems things may start to go right for Jenny. Hopes for the season, some Erik storylines, Vanessa's return, Blair & Chuck showdown and some more drama for the the Derena relationship!
As Kirsten Bell who voices Gossip Girl says, 'You ain't seen nothing yet!'