What Shows Are Renewed/Cancelled? The Complete List 2012-2013

Normally, I have this list up in May. But something odd is happening on television this season. Changes in programming are no longer easy to predict because TV bigwigs can decide either way. An underperforming or badly produced show could still be kept on air longer than expected, while promising shows that need more time to shine can unexpectedly be yanked.

This list will follow programming changes --- the renewals and cancellations --- for the rest of the 2012-2013 season. A lot of things can still happen, which is why I have this list up early to keep track!

Bear in mind that some of the shows slated for this season have yet to premiere. (There's a show called "Red Widow" beginning in March on ABC, d'you know that??) And there's the sweeps (during February & May on network TV) that's expected to help some shows boost their status.

Thus, this list is not final and will be updated regularly until the season closes in May.

Also, unlike previous lists, I have included cable shows this time, knowing a lot of viewers do follow cable TV programming. I'm not too confident this section is precise, nor will I aim to be precise since cable programming is different. (Where is that show "Bullet In The Face" airing?? There's a show like that??)

But as I see fit, corrections will be done to the entries coz...I'm quite obsessive about lists right now, and I'm gonna go through each of these shows when I have fewer workload, to check on their status.

NETWORK TV 

ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, The CW

CANCELLED 
(1st season shows)
666 Park Avenue

Animal Practice
Ben & Kate
Emily Owens, MD
Last Resort
Made in Jersey
Mob Doctor
Partners
Do No Harm
The Job
Zero Hour
Deception
1600 Penn
Whitney
Up All Night
Guys With Kids
Go On
Vegas
Golden Boy
Body of Proof
Cult
Happy Endings
Red Widow
The New Normal
Smash
Family Tools
How To Live With Your Parents
Malibu County

CANCELLED
(2nd season & up)
Don’t Trust the Bitch in Apt. 23
90210
CSI New York
Rules of Engagement
Touch

FINAL SEASON RUN
30 Rock
Fringe
Gossip Girl
Private Practice
The Office

RENEWED
(for 2013-2014 Season)
Arrow
America's Next Top Model
Big Bang Theory
Bones
NCIS
The Voice
The X Factor
How I Met Your Mother
The Vampire Diaries
Supernatural
New Girl
The Mindy Project
Raising Hope
The Following
Chicago Fire
Grimm
Revolution
Parenthood
Law & Order: SVU
Beauty and the Beast
Hart of Dixie
Two and a Half Men
Parks and Recreation
Criminal Minds
CSI
Blue Bloods
Elementary
Mike & Molly
Person of Interest
NCIS: LA
2 Broke Girls
Survivor
Nikita
Castle
Community
The Good Wife
The Mentalist
The Middle
The Neighbors

Hawaii Five-0

Glee

Grey’s Anatomy

American Idol

Dancing with the Stars

Hell’s Kitchen

Last Man Standing

Modern Family
Nashville
Once Upon a Time
Person of Interest
Revenge
Scandal
Suburgatory
The Amazing Race
The Carrie Diaries

BUBBLE SHOWS

(Status unconfirmed as of press time)

Goodwin Games
Hannibal
Infamous
Kitchen Nightmares
Mistress
Save Me
The Cleveland Show
The Celebrity Apprentice
The Simpsons
The Bachelor

CABLE TV

CANCELLED
Alphas
Being Human
Boss
Breakout Kings
Common Law
Fairly Legal
Hung
In Plain Sight
Jane by Design
Leverage
Political Animals
Sanctuary
Wedding Band
The Hour
Enlightened
Southland

FINAL SEASON RUN
Breaking Bad
Secret Life of the American Teenager
Spartacus
The Big C
The Closer
Weeds
Burn Notice

RENEWED
American Horror Story
Anger Management
Archer
Awkward
Baby Daddy
Banshee
Bates Motel
Boardwalk Empire
Californication
Copper
Covert Affairs
Cougar Town
Drop Dead Diva
Eastbound & Down
Episodes
Game of Thrones
Game, The
Girls
Glades, The
Hell On Wheels
Homeland
House of Lies
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Louie
Luther
Lying Game, The
Mad Men
Magic City
Major Crimes
Melissa & Joey
Newsroom
Perception
Pretty Little Liars
Ripper Street
Rizzoli & Isles
Royal Pains
Shameless
Sons Of Anarchy
Suits
Switched At Birth
The Killing
The Walking Dead
True Blood
Unsupervised
Veep
Web Therapy
White Collar
Wilfred
Workaholics
The Borgias
The Americans
Army Wives
Nurse Jackie
Vikings
Dexter
Dallas
Rectify
Da Vinci's Demons
Defiance
Justified

BUBBLE SHOWS
(Status unconfirmed as of press time, as shows will still air latest run)
Bedlam
Bullet in the Face
Bunheads
Client List, The
Curb Your Enthusiam
Doctor Who
Eureka
Exes, The
Falling Skies
Franklin & Bash
Futurama
Happily Divorced
Haven
Hot In Cleveland
Hunted
League, The
Lost Girl
Men At Work
Merlin
Necessary Roughness
Portlandia
Psych
Retired At 35
Single Ladies
Soul Man, The
South Park
Strike Back
Sullivan & Son
Teen Wolf
The Inbetweeners
Todd Margaret
Treme

Follow me on Twitter for real time updates.

Top 28 TV Shows for 2012 Fall Season - 1st Week DVR

As per Nielsen ratings record, these shows topped viewership in DVR (Digital Video Recording) usage during the first week of season/series premieres:

1. Revolution (NBC) 
2. Modern Family (ABC)
3. The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
4. Elementary (CBS)
5. NCIS (CBS)
6. Person of Interest (CBS)
7. Castle (ABC)
8. Hawaii Five-O (CBS)
9. Vegas (CBS)
10. Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
11. The Mentalist (CBS)
12. Criminal Minds (CBS)
13. Glee (Fox)
14. Once Upon a Time (ABC)
15. Grimm (NBC)
16. Blue Bloods (CBS)
17. Revenge (ABC)
18. CSI (CBS)
19. Last Resort (ABC)
20. 666 Park Avenue (ABC)
21. NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)
22. Scandal (ABC)
23. Bones (Fox)
24. Private Practice (ABC)
25. New Girl (Fox)
26. 2 Broke Girls (CBS)
27. Two and a Half Men (CBS)
28. The Good Wife (CBS)

DVR usage allows viewers to record shows for watching at a later time. Viewers can fast forward in between commercials or pause the show when they watch. A popular DVR device is TiVo.

That Revolution would top the list is amusing to me because.... the show runs under the premise that sometime in the future, the world's electric power has ceased to exist and it's all back to basics. No one would actually be able to DVR their favorite TV series in a world were Revolution exists. Hee!

Anyway, based on this list, CBS has at least 14 shows, followed by ABC, Fox & NBC. The CW didn't premiere their shows until the 3rd and 4th week of the new season.

This is for the very first week of Fall TV 2012 only. 

When Does Vampire Diaries (and other shows) Return? Premiere Dates for Fall 2012 TV

TV's new season usually kicks off in the Fall, right after the Emmy's (which is what I'd like to call TV's graduation period). Shows begin their season run around mid-September, when pilots and season premieres trickle down till the end of October. It's the best time for tv junkies like me, and it's probably why I love fall season best, despite "fall season" being actually non-existent where I'm based.

This is the list of premieres for Fall 2012. It answers the life-changing :P question: "When does [insert favorite show's title here] return?"

Notes:

• To date, there are only two network schedules released. I will be updating this page when the rest come in. Complete!
•  The CW is starting late this year. Last year was different, since they started really early in September and then went on hiatus by November-January. Does this mean there will be less of that this season? I am not a fan of hiatuses and I would imagine a lot of you aren't either.
• What is up with those "time period" premieres, NBC?

NBC

Wednesday, Aug. 8
"Go On" (commercial-free sneak following Olympics coverage)

Sunday, Aug. 12
"Animal Practice" (commercial-free sneak following Olympics closing ceremony)

Monday, Aug. 13
8 p.m. "Stars Earn Stripes"
10 p.m. "Grimm"

Wednesday, Sept. 5
7:30 p.m. "NFL Kickoff Special"
8:30 p.m. NFL kickoff - Cowboys at Giants

Sunday, Sept. 9
7 p.m. "Football Night in America"
8:15 p.m. "Sunday Night Football"

Monday, Sept. 10
8 p.m. "The Voice"

Tuesday, Sept. 11
9 p.m. "Go On" (time period premiere)
9:30 p.m. "The New Normal"
10 p.m. "Parenthood"

Wednesday, Sept. 12
10 p.m. "Guys With Kids"

Friday, Sept. 14
9 p.m. "Grimm" (time period premiere)

Monday, Sept. 17
10 p.m. "Revolution"

Thursday, Sept. 20
8:30 p.m. "Up All Night"
9 p.m. "The Office"
9:30 p.m. "Parks and Recreation"

Wednesday, Sept. 26
8 p.m. "Animal Practice" (time period premiere)
8:30 p.m. "Guys With Kids" (time period premiere)
9 p.m. "Law & Order: SVU" (two hours)

Thursday, Oct. 4
8 p.m. "30 Rock"

Wednesday, Oct. 10
10 p.m. "Chicago Fire"

Friday, Oct. 19
8 p.m. "Whitney"
8:30 p.m. "Community



THE CW

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2
8:00-9:00 PM HART OF DIXIE

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3
9:00-10:00 PM SUPERNATURAL

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8
8:00-9:00 PM 90210
9:00-10:00 PM GOSSIP GIRL

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10
8:00-9:00 PM ARROW
9:00-10:00 PM SUPERNATURAL

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11
8:00-9:00 PM THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
9:00-10:00 PM BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16
9:00-10:00 PM EMILY OWENS, M.D.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL: COLLEGE EDITION
9:00-10:00 PM NIKITA



FOX


Wed., Sept. 12
8-10 p.m. "The X Factor" (Part One)

Thurs., Sept. 13
8-9 p.m. "The X Factor" (Part Two)
9-10 p.m. "Glee"

Mon., Sept. 17
8-9 p.m. "Bones"
9-10 p.m. "The Mob Doctor"*

Tues., Sept. 25
8-8:30 p.m. "New Girl" (new episode)
8:30-9 p.m. "Ben and Kate"*
9-9:30 p.m. "New Girl" (season premiere)
9:30-10 p.m. "The Mindy Project"*

Fri., Sept. 28
8-9 p.m. "Kitchen Nightmares" (new episode)
9-10 p.m. "Fringe"

Sun., Sept. 30
8-8:30 p.m. "The Simpsons"
8:30-9 p.m. "Bob's Burgers"
9-9:30 p.m. "Family Guy"
9:30-10 p.m. "American Dad"

Tues., Oct. 2
8-8:30 p.m. "Raising Hope"

Sun., Oct. 7
7:30-8 p.m. "The Cleveland Show"

Fri., Oct. 26
8-9 p.m. "Touch"

CBS



Wednesday, Sept. 19
8pm: Survivor: Philippines

Monday, Sept. 24
8pm: How I Met Your Mother
8:30pm: Partners (NEW)
9pm: 2 Broke Girls
9:30pm: Mike & Molly
10pm: Hawaii Five-0

Tuesday, Sept. 25
8pm: NCIS
9pm: NCIS: Los Angeles
10pm: Vegas (NEW)

Wednesday, Sept. 26
9pm: Criminal Minds
10pm: CSI

Thursday, Sept. 27
8pm: The Big Bang Theory
8:30pm: Two and a Half Men
9pm: Person of Interest
10pm: Elementary (NEW)

Friday, Sept. 28
8pm: CSI: NY
9pm: Made in Jersey (NEW)
10pm: Blue Bloods

Saturday, Sept. 29
10pm: 48 Hours Mystery

Sunday, Sept. 30
7pm: 60 Minutes
8pm: The Amazing Race
9pm: The Good Wife
10pm: The Mentalist

ABC

Friday, September 14
8-9pm: Shark Tank
9-10pm: Primetime: What Would You Do?
10-11pm: 20/20

Monday, September 24
8-10pm: Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars
10pm: Castle

Tuesday, September 25
8-10pm: Dancing with the Stars: The Results Show
10-11pm: Private Practice

Wednesday, September 26
8-9pm: The Middle
9-9:30pm: Modern Family
9:30-10pm: The Neighbors

Thursday, September 27
8-9pm: Last Resort
9-10pm: Grey's Anatomy
10-11pm: Scandal

Sunday, September 30
8-9pm: Once Upon a Time
9-10pm: Revenge
10-11pm: 666 Park Avenue

Wednesday, October 3
8:30-9pm: The Neighbors

Sunday, October 7
7-8pm: America's Funniest Home Videos

Wednesday, October 10
10-11pm: Nashville

Wednesday, October 17
9:30-10pm: Suburgatory

Tuesday, October 23
9-9:30pm: Happy Endings
9:30-10pm: Don't Trust the B--- in Apartment 23

Friday, November 2
8-8:30pm: Last Man Standing
8:30-9pm: Malibu Country
9-10pm: Shark Tank

ABC FALL 2012-2013 SCHEDULE

The following schedule is a press release.

I'm starting to like ABC for its comedy shows. Most of my current favorite comedies are here --- Happy Endings, The Middle, Suburgatory, Don't Trust the Bitch in Apartment 23 and Modern Family.

For the upcoming season, industry insiders are going to keep track of the ratings race that will happen on Tuesday nights as Happy Endings moves from Wednesdays to Tuesday, clashing with Fox's New Girl, and Matthew Perry's Go On on NBC. I'm just glad I can watch all these shows without worrying about flipping channels!

ABC's drama shows don't appeal to me so much, but the network have definitely won plenty of people over with Revenge, which moves to Sundays next season, following Once Upon A Time and a new drama.

Here's the new schedule:

MONDAY
8 PM  “Dancing with the Stars”
10 PM  “Castle”
- In January
8 PM  “The Bachelor”
10 PM  “Castle”

TUESDAY
8 PM  “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show”
9 PM  “Happy Endings”
9:30 PM  “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23”
10 PM “Private Practice”
- In January:
8 PM   “How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life)”
8:30 PM   “The Family Tools”

WEDNESDAY
8 PM  “The Middle”
8:30 p.m.  “Suburgatory”
9 PM  “Modern Family”
9:30 PM    “The Neighbors”
10 PM   “Nashville”

THURSDAY
8 PM   “Last Resort”
9 PM  “Grey’s Anatomy”
10 PM   “Scandal”

FRIDAY
8 PM   “Shark Tank”
9 PM   “Primetime: What Would You Do?”
10 PM   “20/20”
- In November:
8 PM   “Last Man Standing”
8:30 p.m.  “Malibu Country”
9 PM   “Shark Tank”
10 PM  “20/20”

SATURDAY
8 PM  “Saturday Night College Football”

SUNDAY
7 PM  “America’s Funniest Home Videos”
8 PM  ”Once Upon a Time”
9 PM  “Revenge”
10 PM “666 Park Avenue”

NOTE: Two other returning series that are on on the schedule, Body Of Proof and Wife Swap, also have been renewed to air later in the sseason.

NEW FALL AND MID-SEASON SERIES

DRAMA


“666 PARK AVENUE”
At the ominous address of 666 Park Avenue, anything you desire can be yours. Everyone has needs, desires and ambition. For the residents of The Drake, these will all be met, courtesy of the building’s mysterious owner, Gavin Doran (Terry O’Quinn). But every Faustian contract comes with a price. When Jane Van Veen (Rachael Taylor) and Henry Martin (Dave Annable), an idealistic young couple from the Midwest, are offered the opportunity to manage the historic building, they not only fall prey to the machinations of Doran and his mysterious wife, Olivia (Vanessa Williams), but unwittingly begin to experience the shadowy, supernatural forces within the building that imprison and endanger the lives of the residents inside. Sexy, seductive and inviting, The Drake maintains a dark hold over all of its residents, tempting them through their ambitions and desires, in this chilling new drama that’s home to an epic struggle of good versus evil.


“666 Park Avenue” stars Rachael Taylor (“Charlie’s Angels,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” Transformers) as Jane Van Veen, Dave Annable (“Brothers & Sisters,” “Reunion”) as Henry Martin, Robert Buckley (“One Tree Hill,” “Lipstick Jungle”) as Brian Leonard, Mercedes Masöhn (“The Finder,” “Chuck,” “Three Rivers”) as Louise Leonard, Helena Mattsson (“Iron Man 2,” “Nikita,” “Desperate Housewives”) as Alexis Blume, Samantha Logan as Nona Clark, with Vanessa Williams (“Desperate Housewives,” “Ugly Betty,” “Shaft,” “Soul Food”) as Olivia Doran and Terry O’Quinn (“Lost,” “Millennium,” “Hawaii Five-0,” “Alias,” “The West Wing,” “Jag”) as Gavin Doran.


Based on the book series by Gabriella Pierce, “666 Park Avenue” was written by David Wilcox (“Fringe,” “Life on Mars”), who is also an executive producer along with Matthew Miller (“Chuck,” “Human Target”), Leslie Morgenstein (“Gossip Girl,” “The Vampire Diaries,” “Pretty Little Liars,” “The Lying Game,” “The Secret Circle,” “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”), Gina Girolamo (“The Secret Circle,” “The Lying Game”) and Alex Graves (“Fringe,” “The West Wing”). The pilot for “666 Park Avenue” was directed by Alex Graves. “666 Park Avenue” is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Alloy Entertainment (“Gossip Girl,” “The Vampire Diaries,” “Pretty Little Liars”) and Warner Bros. Television.


 “LAST RESORT”
500 feet beneath the ocean’s surface, the U.S. ballistic missile submarine Colorado receive their orders. Over a radio channel, designed only to be used if their homeland has been wiped out, they’re told to fire nuclear weapons at Pakistan.


Captain Marcus Chaplin (Andre Braugher) demands confirmation of the orders only to be unceremoniously relieved of duty by the White House. XO Sam Kendal (Scott Speedman) finds himself suddenly in charge of the submarine and facing the same difficult decision. When he also refuses to fire without confirmation of the orders, the Colorado is targeted, fired upon, and hit. The submarine and its crew find themselves crippled on the ocean floor, declared rogue enemies of their own country. Now, with nowhere left to turn, Chaplin and Kendal take the sub on the run and bring the men and women of the Colorado to an exotic island. Here they will find refuge, romance and a chance at a new life, even as they try to clear their names and get home.


“Last Resort” stars Andre Braugher (“Men of a Certain Age”) as Captain Marcus Chaplin, Scott Speedman (“The Vow”) as XO Sam Kendal, Daisy Betts (“Sea Patrol”) as Lieutenant Grace Shepard, Dichen Lachman (“Being Human”) as Tani Tumrenjack, Daniel Lissing (“Crownies”) as SEAL Officer James King, Sahr Ngaujah (“House of Payne”) as Mayor Julian Serrat, Camille de Pazzis as Sophie Gerard, Autumn Reeser (“Hawaii Five-O,” “No Ordinary Family”) as Kylie Sinclair, Jessy Schram (“Falling Skies,” “Once Upon a Time”) as Christine Kendal.


Recurring guest star is Robert Patrick (“The Gangster Squad”) as Master Chief Joseph Prosser.


“Last Resort” was written by Shawn Ryan (“The Shield,” “The Unit,” “The Chicago Code”) and Karl Gajdusek, who are also executive producers along with Martin Campbell and Marney Hochman Nash. The pilot for “Last Resort” was directed by Martin Campbell. “Last Resort” is produced by Middkid Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television.


“MISTRESSES”
Welcome to a provocative and thrilling drama about the scandalous lives of a sexy and sassy group of four girlfriends, each on her own path to self-discovery, as they brave the turbulent journey together.


Meet Savi (Alyssa Milano), a successful career woman working toward the next phase in her life — both professional and personal — simultaneously bucking for partner at her law firm while she and her husband, Harry (Brett Tucker), try to start a family of their own. Savi’s free-spirited and capricious baby sister, Josselyn (Jes Macallan), couldn’t be more different – living single, serial dating and partying, and regularly leaning on her big sister along the way. Their common best friend, April (Rochelle Aytes), a recent widow and mother of two, is rebuilding her life after tragedy and learning to move forward, with the support and guidance of her closest girlfriends. And friend Karen (Yunjin Kim), a successful therapist with her own practice, reconnects with the girls after her involvement in a complicated relationship with a patient goes far too deep.


“Mistresses” is a salacious new drama about a group of friends caught in storms of excitement and self-discovery, secrecy and betrayal, and bound by the complex relationships they’ve created.


“Mistresses” stars Alyssa Milano (“New Years Eve,” “Romantically Challenged,” “Hall Pass,” “My Name Is Earl,” “Charmed,” “Melrose Place”) as Savannah, Yunjin Kim (“Lost”) as Karen, Rochelle Aytes (“Work It,” “White Collar,” “Detroit 1-8-7,” “Desperate Housewives”) as April, Jes Macallan (“Kiss Me,” “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “Crash and Burn,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Shameless”) as Josslyn, Jason George (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Closer,” “Against the Wall,” “Castle,” “Off the Map,” “Eastwick”) as Dominic, Brett Tucker (“Castle,” “Spartacus: Vengeance,” “Rizzoli & Isles,” “NCIS,” “Neighbours”) as Harry, Erik Stocklin (“Grey Sheep,” “Sick Day,” “Let’s Big Happy”) as Sam.


 Guest Starring Marin Hinkle (“Two and a Half Men,” “Brothers & Sisters”) as Elisabeth, John Schneider (“Smallville,” “90210,” “Desperate Housewives”) as Thomas Grey, Shannyn Sossamon (“How to Make It in America,” “Dirt”) as Alex, Cameron Bender (“Commander in Chief,” “Whitney,” “Beverlywood”) as Richard, Kate Beahan (“Burning Man,” “Rake,” “Boston Legal”) as Miranda, Sunkrish Bala (“Notes from the Underbelly,” “I Just Want My Pants Back”) as Hamid.


Based on the U.K. television series, “Mistresses” is from K.J. Steinberg (“Gossip Girl”) and is executive-produced by Robert Sertner (“Revenge,” “No Ordinary Family”), K.J. Steinberg (“Gossip Girl”), Rina Mimoun (“Privileged,” “Gilmore Girls”) and Douglas Rae (“Wuthering Heights,” “Camelot,” “Mistresses,” “Raw,” “Meadowlands”). The pilot for “Mistresses” is directed by Cherie Nowlan. The series is from ABC Studios.


“NASHVILLE”
Chart-topping Rayna James (Connie Britton) is a country legend who’s had a career any singer would envy, though lately her popularity is starting to wane. Fans still line up to get her autograph, but she’s not packing the arenas like she used to. Rayna’s record label thinks a concert tour, opening for up-and-comer Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere), the young and sexy future of country music, is just what Rayna needs. But scheming Juliette can’t wait to steal Rayna’s spotlight. Sharing a stage with that disrespectful, untalented, little vixen is the last thing Rayna wants to do, which sets up a power struggle for popularity. Could the undiscovered songwriting talent of Scarlett O’Connor (Clare Bowen) be the key to helping Rayna resurrect her career?


Complicating matters, Rayna’s wealthy but estranged father, Lamar Hampton (Powers Boothe), is a powerful force in business, Tennessee politics, and the lives of his two grown daughters. His drive for power results in a scheme to back Rayna’s handsome husband, Teddy, in a run for Mayor of Nashville, against Rayna’s wishes.


“Nashville” stars Connie Britton (“Friday Night Lights,” “American Horror Story”) as Rayna, Hayden Panettiere (“Heroes”) as Juliette, Powers Boothe (“MacGruber,” “24”) as Lamar, Charles Esten (“Enlightened,” “Big Love”) as Deacon, Eric Close (“Chaos,” “Without a Trace”) as Teddy, Clare Bowen as Scarlett, Jonathan Jackson (“General Hospital”) as Avery, Sam Palladio as Gunnar and Robert Wisdom as Coleman.


“Nashville” was written by Callie Khouri (“Thelma & Louise”) who is an executive producer along with R.J. Cutler (“The September Issue,” “The War Room,” “Flip That House,” “A Perfect Candidate”) and Steve Buchanan. The pilot for “Nashville” was directed by R.J. Cutler. The series is produced by Lionsgate, ABC Studios and Gaylord Entertainment.




“RED WIDOW”
When Marta Walraven’s (Radha Mitchell) husband is brutally murdered, her first instinct is to protect her three young children. Her husband’s business partners – Irwin Petrova (Wil Traval), Marta’s scheming and untrustworthy brother, and Mike Tomlin (Lee Tergesen) — were involved in an illegal drug business deal with rival gangsters, and Marta’s husband paid the ultimate price. She already knows the violent world of organized crime; her father, Andrei Petrova (Rade Sherbedzija), and loyal bodyguard Luther (Luke Goss) are gangsters too. She and her sister Kat (Jaime Ray Newman) had always wished for a safer life without bloodshed and fear. For a while Marta lived happily as a stay at home housewife in San Marta’s cooperation, FBI Agent James Ramos (Mido Hamada) now promises justice.


Marta discovers a tenacity she never knew she had, and takes on the gangsters and the FBI to unveil the truth about her husband’s death. As she digs into this dark underworld, she’ll test her own strength, relying on her resourcefulness, determination and family ties like never before. To get out of this mob, she needs to beat the bad guys at their own deadly game.


“Red Widow” stars Radha Mitchell (“Melinda and Melinda,” “Silent Hill,” “Rogue,” “Henry Poll Is Here,” “The Children of Huang Shi,” “The Waiting City”) as Marta Walraven, Wil Traval (“Rescue Special Ops,” “Underbelly,” “All Saints”) as Irwin Petrova, Erin Moriarty (“One Life to Live”) as Natalie Walraven, Sterling Beaumon (“Arthur Newman, Golf Pro, “Clue”) as Gabriel Walraven, Lee Tergesen (“Army Wives”) as Mike Tomlin, Jakob Salvati as Boris Walraven, Mido Hamada as FBI Agent James Ramos, Luke Goss as Luther, Jaime Ray Newman (“Drop Dead Diva”) as Kat Petrova, Suleka Mathew (“Hawthorne”) as Dina Tomlin and Rade Serbedzija (“24”) as Andrei Petrova.


Based on the Dutch series “Penoza,” “Red Widow” teleplay is by Melissa Rosenberg (“Dexter” and screenwriter of the Twilight franchise). “Red Widow “is executive-produced by Melissa Rosenberg, Howard Klein (“The Office,” “Parks & Recreation”), Endemol Studios and Alon Aranya. The pilot for “Red Widow” was directed by Mark Pellington. The series is produced by ABC Studios.


“ZERO HOUR”
As the publisher of a paranormal enthusiast magazine, Modern Skeptic, Hank Galliston has spent his career following clues, debunking myths and solving conspiracies. A confessed paranormal junkie, his motto is “logic is the compass.” But when his beautiful wife, Laila (Jacinda Barrett), is abducted from her antique clock shop, Hank gets pulled into one of the most compelling mysteries in human history, stretching around the world and back centuries.


Contained in one of his wife’s clocks is a treasure map, and what it leads to could be cataclysmic. Now it’s up to Hank to decipher the symbols and unlock the secrets of the map, while ensuring the answers don’t fall into the wrong hands – a man they call White Vincent (Michael Nyqvist). With his two young associates, Rachel (Addison Timlin) and Arron (Scott Michael Foster), in tow, along with Becca Riley, a sexy FBI agent (Carmen Ejogo), Hank will lead them on a breathless race against the clock to find his wife and save humanity.


“Zero Hour” stars Anthony Edwards (“Big Sur,” “Flipped,” “ER”) as Hank, Carmen Ejogo (“Sparkle,” “Chaos,” “Away We Go”) as Beck, Scott Michael Foster (“Californication,” “The River”) as Aaron, Addison Timlin (“Californication”) as Rachel, Jacinda Barrett (“Matching Jack,” “Middle Men,” “New York, I Love You”) as Laila and Michael Nyqvist (“Mission: Impossible – Ghost Patrol”) as White Vincent.


“Zero Hour” was written by Paul T. Scheuring (“Prison Break”) who is also an executive producer along with Pierre Morel, Lorenzo DiBonaventura (“The Transformers,” “GI: Joe” franchise, “Salt,” “Red”) and Dan McDermott (“Human Target”). The pilot for “Zero Hour” was directed by Pierre Morel. The series is produced by ABC Studios.






COMEDY


“HOW TO LIVE WITH YOUR PARENTS (FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE)”
Polly (Sarah Chalke) is a single mom who’s been divorced for almost a year. The transition wasn’t easy for her, especially in this economy. So, like a lot of young people living in this new reality, she and her daughter, Natalie (Rachel Eggleston), have moved back home with her eccentric parents, Elaine (Elizabeth Perkins) and Max (Brad Garrett). But Polly and her parents look at life through two different lenses. Polly’s too uptight. Her parents are too laid back. Polly’s conservative when it comes to dating (no action, whatsoever), while her parents are still sexually adventurous. They think Polly turned out okay, so what’s the big deal? Well, they say it takes a village to raise a child…and in Polly’s case, this village is on fire. But with help from her best friend Gregg (Orlando Jones), her lovable yet irresponsible ex-husband Julian (Jon Dore) and her cool and fun assistant Jenn (Rebecca Delgado Smith) Polly takes her first steps toward getting a life, starting with a social one.


“How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life)” stars Sarah Chalke (“Mad Love,” “Scrubs”) as Polly, Jon Dore as Julian, Rachel Eggleston as Natalie, Brad Garrett (“Everybody Loves Raymond,” “‘Til Death”) as Max, Orlando Jones (“Rules of Engagement”) as Gregg, Elizabeth Perkins (“Weeds”) as Elaine, Rebecca Delgado Smith as Jenn.


“How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life)” was written by Claudia Lonow, who is also an executive producer along with Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo. The pilot for “How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life)” was directed by Julie Anne Robinson. The series is produced by 20th Century Fox and Imagine Television.


 “MALIBU COUNTRY”
When Reba Gallagher (Reba) discovers that her husband, Bobby, (Jeffrey Nordling) a country music legend, has a cheatin’ heart, her world is turned upside down. Reba dreamt of becoming a country star herself, but put her career on hold to raise a family. Now she’s questioning all of that, big-time. With the ink on her divorce barely dry, Reba packs up her sharp-tongued mother, Lillie May (Lily Tomlin), her two kids and the U-Haul and heads for sunny California to begin a new chapter. Leaving Nashville in the rear view, they start over at their Malibu residence — the last remaining asset they have. Reba gets to know her new open and loving neighbor Kim (Sara Rue) and her son, Sage, but also discovers that relocation to Southern California is going to be quite an adjustment for a traditional southern belle: the West Coast seems like the polar opposite of Music City, and Reba feels like an outsider. Still, with the support of her family she sets about finding her voice, jump-starting her music career with the help of her new music agent, Geoffrey (Jai Rodriguez), and embracing this chance to begin again.


“Malibu Country” stars country music superstar Reba (“Reba,” “Tremors”) as Reba, Sara Rue (“Rules of Engagement,” “Less Than Perfect”) as Kim, Justin Prentice as Cash, Juliette Angelo as June, Jai Rodriguez (“Bones,” “How I Met Your Mother,” one of the original hosts of “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy”) as Geoffrey and Lily Tomlin (“Eastbound and Down,” “Damages,” “Desperate Housewives,” “West Wing,” “Nine to Five,” “All of Me,” “Nashville”) as Lillie May.


“Malibu Country” is from Kevin Abbott (“Last Man Standing,” “My Name Is Earl,” “Reba”) who executive produces along with Michael Hanel & Mindy Schultheis, Reba McEntire & Narvel Blackstock, Dave Stewart & Pam Williams, John Pasquin. The pilot for “Malibu Country” was directed by John Pasquin. The series is from ABC Studios.



“THE NEIGHBORS”
How well do you know your neighbors?


Meet the Weavers, Debbie (Jami Gertz) and Marty (Lenny Venito). Marty, in hopes of providing a better life for his wife and three kids, recently bought a home in Hidden Hills, a gated New Jersey townhome community with its own golf course. Hidden Hills is so exclusive that a house hasn’t come on the market in 10 years. But one finally did and the Weavers got it!


It’s clear from day one that the residents of Hidden Hills are a little different. For starters, their new neighbors all have pro-athlete names like Reggie Jackson (Tim Jo), Jackie Joyner-Kersee (Toks Olagundoye), Dick Butkis (Ian Patrick) and Larry Bird (Simon Templeman). Over dinner, Marty and his family discover that their neighbors receive nourishment through their eyes by reading books, rather than eating. The Weavers soon learn that the entire community is comprised of aliens from Zabvron, where the men bear children and everyone cries green goo from their ears.


The Zabvronians have been stationed on Earth for the past 10 years, disguised as humans, awaiting instructions from home, and the Weavers are the first humans they’ve had the opportunity to know. As it turns out, the pressures of marriage and parenthood are not exclusive to planet Earth. Two worlds will collide with hilarious consequences as everyone discovers they can “totally relate” and learn a lot from each other.


“The Neighbors” stars Jami Gertz (“Entourage,” “Modern Family,” “Still Standing,” “Ally McBeal”) as Debbie Weaver, Lenny Venito (“Bored to Death,” “Men in Black III,” “Person of Interest,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) as Marty Weaver, Simon Templeman as Larry Bird, Toks Olagundoye as Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Clara Mamet as Amber Weaver, Tim Jo (“Glory Daze”) as Reggie Jackson, Ian Patrick (“Wanderlust”) as Dick Butkis, Max Charles (“The Three Stooges,” “The Amazing Spider-Man”) as Max Weaver, Isabella Cramp as Abby Weaver.


Guest starring are Mitch Rouse as Real Estate Agent and Doug Jones as Alien. Co-Starring are Bruce Green as Angry Man and Mary K. DeVault as Angry Woman.


“The Neighbors” was written by Dan Fogelman (“Cars,” “Tangled,” and “Crazy, Stupid, Love”) who is also an executive producer with Aaron Kaplan, Jeff Morton (“Modern Family”) and Chris Koch (“Workaholics,” “Modern Family”). “The Neighbors” was directed by Chris Koch and is from ABC Studios.


“THE FAMILY TOOLS”

Mixing family with business is never easy, and Jack Shea (Kyle Bornheimer) is about to learn that lesson the hard way. When Jack’s father, Tony (J.K. Simmons), has a heart attack and is forced to hand over the keys to his beloved handyman business, Jack is eager to finally step up and make his father proud. Unfortunately Jack’s past career efforts have been less than stellar, so everyone seems to be waiting for him to fail. His new job isn’t made any easier by Tony’s rebellious, troublemaker assistant, Darren (Edi Gathegi), and Darren’s flirtatious sister, Liz (Danielle Nicolet), who works at the local hardware store. Yet with the support of his Aunt Terry (Leah Remini) and his oddball yet endearing cousin Mason (Johnny Pemberton), Jack Shea may just find his true calling right at home.


“The Family Tools” stars Kyle Bornheimer (“Bachelorette,” “Romantically Challenged,” “Perfect Couples”) as Jack Shea, J.K. Simmons (“Ultimate Spiderman,” “Generator Rex,” “The Closer”) as Tony Shea, Edi Gathegi (“X Men: First Class”) as Darren, Johnny Pemberton (“21 Jump Street,” “Aim High”) as Mason, Danielle Nicolet (“X Men TV Series”) as Liz and Leah Remini (“In the Motherhood,” “King of Queens”) as Terry.



Based on the UK series “White Van Man,” “The Family Tools” teleplay is by Bobby Bowman. “The Family Tools” is executive-produced by Bobby Bowman, Mark Gordon (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Criminal Minds”) and Andrea Shay (“It Takes a Village,” “Virtual Virgin”) and Paul Buccieri (“Prime Suspect”). The pilot for “The Family Tools” was directed by Michael Fresco (“Suburgatory,” “Raising Hope,” “Better Off Ted,” “My Name Is Earl,” “Northern Exposure,” “St. Elsewhere”). The series is from ABC Studios.

What Shows Are Renewed/Cancelled? The Complete List 2011-2012

If you're wondering what shows have been renewed or cancelled, I've made a simple list so you can check if your favorites are back next season or forever gone.

I'm bummed by some cancellations, but excited for the others. It's bittersweet.

This is for Network TV only. Cable shows have a different timetable or system.

CANCELLED

• Charlie’s Angels ABC
• GCB ABC
• Missing ABC
• Pan Am ABC
• The River ABC
• Work It! ABC
• A Gifted Man CBS
• How To Be A Gentleman CBS
• Rob CBS
• NYC 22 CBS
• CSI: Miami CBS
• Unforgettable CBS
• Alcatraz FOX
• Allen Gregory FOX
• Breaking In FOX
• The Finder FOX
• I Hate My Teenage Daughter FOX
• Terra Nova FOX
• Are You There, Chelsea? NBC
• Awake NBC
• Bent NBC
• Best Friends Forever NBC
• Free Agents NBC
• Harry’s Law NBC
• The Playboy Club NBC
• Prime Suspect NBC
• The Firm NBC
• Who Do You Think You Are? NBC
• Remodeled The CW
• Ringer The CW
• The Secret Circle The CW
• H8R The CW

RENEWED

• The Simpsons FOX
• Body Of Proof ABC
• Castle ABC
• Dancing with the Stars ABC
• Don’t Trust The B—- in Apt. 23 ABC
• Grey’s Anatomy ABC
• Happy Endings ABC
• Last Man Standing ABC
• The Middle ABC
• Modern Family ABC
• Once Upon A Time ABC
• Private Practice ABC
• Revenge ABC
• Scandal ABC
• Shark Tank ABC
• Suburgatory ABC
• Wife Swap ABC
• 2 Broke Girls CBS
• Blue Bloods CBS
• Criminal Minds CBS
• CSI CBS
• Hawaii Five-0 CBS
• How I Met Your Mother CBS
• Mike & Molly CBS
• NCIS CBS
• NCIS: Los Angeles CBS
• Person Of Interest CBS
• Survivor CBS
• CSI: NY CBS
• The Amazing Race CBS
• The Big Bang Theory CBS
• The Good Wife CBS
• The Mentalist CBS
• Two and a Half Men CBS
• Undercover Boss CBS
• American Dad FOX
• American Idol FOX
• Bob’s Burgers FOX
• Bones FOX
• The Cleveland Show FOX
• Family Guy FOX
• Fringe FOX
• Glee FOX
• Hell’s Kitchen FOX
• Kitchen Nightmares FOX
• New Girl FOX
• Raising Hope FOX
• Touch FOX
• The X Factor FOX
• 30 Rock NBC
• Community NBC
• Fashion Star NBC
• Grimm NBC
• Law & Order: SVU NBC
• The Office NBC
• Parenthood NBC
• Parks & Recreation NBC
• Smash NBC
• The Voice NBC
• Up All Night NBC
• Whitney NBC
• 90210  The CW
• America’s Next Top Model The CW
• Hart Of Dixie The CW
• Nikita The CW
• Supernatural The CW
• The Vampire Diaries The CW
• Gossip Girl The CW

SERIES DONE

• House, M.D. FOX
• Chuck NBC
• One Tree Hill The CW

MOVING TO TBS

•  Cougar Town ABC

UNCONFIRMED STATUS as of May 13

• Rules of Engagement  CBS
• The Apprentice NBC
• The Biggest Loser NBC
• Fear Factor NBC

What TV Show Earned The Biggest Profit in 2010? Here's Forbes Top 10 List

Forbes rounds up TV's most profitable programs, based on advertising revenues, for 2010 with the help of Kantar Media, a surveying firm.

And the Top 10 Biggest Moneymakers on TV are:

1. American Idol
2. Two and A Half Men
3. Desperate Housewives
4. Grey's Anatomy
5. Dancing With The Stars
6. Lost
7. Big Bang Theory
8. 24
9. Private Practice
10. Mike & Molly

• Glee and Modern Family almost made it to the Top 10 list. 
• Chuck Lore's three shows are all in there (#2, #7, #10). 
• And I can never understand how some shows ended up where they are. Advertisers love them? Really? These advertisers...they don't watch a lot of TV, do they?

Check this article to read full detail.

Off The Map is Off The Scale Ridiculous!!!

Am back!

I spent last weekend traveling back to my hometown. The short visit, plus the things that happened here at home afterwards, left me frazzled. I have tons of watching and catching up to do (on last count, 28 episodes unwatched!)

But I did spend time watching this new show, Off The Map. Has anybody else seen it? Lotsa eye-candy but so utterly unrealistic!

Off The Map is another TV program, another medical show by Shonda Rhimes and company.  If you're addicted to television, she is a name you will instantly recognize. She is the reason why we have a bunch of McNicknames on television. Shonda created Grey's Anatomy and its spin-off, Private Practice. While Off The Map is not entirely her brainchild, she serves as its executive producer and the creator of the show worked under her wing on Grey's Anatomy.

Simply put... Off The Map is Grey's Anatomy set in the jungles of South America.

Lily (Caroline Dhavernas) is the Meredith Grey of the jungle

The writers seem to be creating a love story arc for her and the McDreamy of the jungle, Ben (Martin Henderson) ---

He can't act, by the way. But he tips off the hotness scale and brings it on overdrive. He's freakin' gorgeous. 

Mina here (Mumie Gummer) is the Christina Yang of the jungle.

Tommy (Zach Gilford) is the Alex of the jungle.

I haven't figure out who's gonna turn out as Bailey or Izzie or McSteamy, Addison and Callie. And god forbid, I hope they don't come up with a jungle version of Denny Duquet. But I'm happy to say, there isn't a George of the Jungle in the cast. (LOL! Get that? George of the Jungle??)

Off The Map, like all of Shondaland's shows, has ridiculous and unbelievable plots, told in melodramatic storylines (complete with moving musical scoring), with hot doctors hooking up all the time. I watched the first two episodes completely suspending all expectations that I will find it satisfactory. It helped that I've set my expectations so low. Whatever I've seen so far was tolerable. It also helped that these actors are so good-looking. :P

Of the bat, just a few nitpicks I have to say out loud:

• Off The Map has a clinic that's set in a remote village. There is, however, a swanky bar nearby and its safe to say this doctors aren't roughing it over there. It's like a summer holiday all year round!
• None of the new doctors know a word of Spanish, and yet, they've been the ones granted this "privilege" to work at the remote clinic among thousands of other hopeful doctors across the country. You would wonder what the criteria are for qualifying...
• Tommy is a plastic surgeon. He went to medical school at what? 8 years old? And I still can't believe Zach Gilford is part of this show.

I'm not complaining, really. This is kind of expected. I mean, coming from this team that gave us Grey's and Practice... you would have to expect it's more style and fluff than substance.

But this show is going to stick for awhile, I can feel it.

Because in spite what I may feel about the creators and writers of this show... I still end up watching.  And so do millions of other viewers.

Shonda Rhimes, et. al holds the magic formula to making stupid programs on television that everyone will watch.

Ranking 2010 Fall Season Premieres: Which New Show Rated Highest??

Here's how all the programs ranked last week. A lot of these shows are season premieres. And the answer to the question on which new show is the highest rated would have to be the show highlighted in green ---

1 Dancing with the Stars 21.29M
2 NCIS 19.41M
3 Dancing with the Stars 9pm 18.52M
4 NCIS: Los Angeles 15.76M
5 The Mentalist 15.50M
6 CSI 14.69M
7 Two and a Half Men 14.63M
8 Grey’s Anatomy 14.32M
9 Hawaii Five-0 14.20M
10 Criminal Minds 14.13M
11 Big Bang Theory 14.04M
12 Blue Bloods 12.81M
13 Modern Family 12.67M
14 $#*! My Dad Says 12.58M
15 Glee 12.45M
16 Mike & Molly 12.23M
17 The Defenders 12.17M
18 The Event 10.88M
19 Castle 10.70M
20 House 10.69M
21 CSI: NY 10.28M
22 Law & Order: SVU 10.08M
23 Bones 9.89M
24 Detroit 187 9.34M
25 Private Practice 8.83M
26 The Middle 8.80M
27 How I Met Your Mother 8.79M
28 Undercovers 8.70M
29 The Office 8.48M
30 Rules of Engagement 8.35M
31 Cougar Town 8.32M
32 Dateline NBC 7.94M
33 Betty With You 7.86M
34 Outsourced 7.49M
35 Chase 7.31M
36 Raising Hope 7.31M
37 Hell’s Kitchen 7.17M
38 Medium 6.12M
39 30 Rock 5.91M
40 Chuck 5.79M
41 Fringe 5.73M
42 Running Wilde 5.60M
43 My Generation 5.17M
44 Community 5.00M
45 Outlaw 4.99M
46 The Whole Truth 4.85M
47 Boardwalk Empire 4.81M
48 Lone Star 4.10M
49 Smallville 2.90M
50 The Good Guys 2.90M
51 Supernatural 2.79M

Source is Nielsen's.

Ratings Game: Big Bang Theory Exploded on TV Last Night

Big Bang Theory Cast and Creators

Moving The Big Bang Theory from its Monday schedule to Thursday was in fact a smart choice as the networks have seen now. The series, now on it's third season, dominated the night and even helped pull newcomer, $#*! My Dad Says.

Community couldn't match up to BBT. I happen to like both series and its cases like this that makes me glad I could watch and enjoy these shows separately, without having to flip through channels.

Justin Beiber's acting debut did nothing to pick up CSI. It's really not the same without Grissom.

Elsewhere, new show Outsource did pretty decently while the other newcomer for the night, My Generation, lost. Yeah, I did not get that show, too.

8 p.m.

CBS: "The Big Bang Theory" season premiere (13.95 million viewers, 8.3/14 households)/"$#*! My Dad Says" series premiere (12.5 million, 7.5/12)
FOX: "Bones" season premiere (9.8 million, 6.0/10)
NBC: "Community" season premiere (5 million, 3.1/5)/"30 Rock" season premiere (5.85 million, 3.5/6)
ABC: "My Generation" series premiere (5.4 million, 3.3/6)
The CW: "The Vampire Diaries" (3.6 million, 2.2/4)

9 p.m.

CBS: "CSI" season premiere (14.6 million, 8.9/14)
ABC: "Grey's Anatomy" season premiere (14 million, 8.9/14)
NBC: "The Office" season premiere (8.4 million, 4.8/8)/"Outsourced" season premiere (7.4 million, 4.3/7)
FOX: "Fringe" season premiere (5.8 million, 3.5/5)
The CW: "Nikita" (3.2 million, 2.0/3)

10 p.m.

CBS: "The Mentalist" season premiere (15.3 million, 9.5/17)
ABC: "Private Practice" season premiere (9 million, 6.1/11)
NBC: "The Apprentice" (3.85 million, 2.6/4)

This data is from Zap2it.

ABC's Fall Date Premieres: Love for Wednesday Nights!

ABC Network

ABC has announced the dates for when our favorites come back in September 2010:

Monday, September 20
8:00-10:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars”
10:00-11:00 p.m. “Castle”

Tuesday, September 21
8:00-10:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars” (special performance show night and time)
10:00-11:00 p.m. “Detroit 1-8-7”

Wednesday, September 22
8:00-8:30 p.m. “The Middle”
8:30-9:00 p.m. “Better With You” (formerly titled “Better Together”)
9:00-9:30 p.m. “Modern Family”
9:30-10:00 p.m. “Cougar Town”
10:00-11:00 p.m. “The Whole Truth”

Thursday, September 23
8:00-9:00 p.m. “My Generation”
9:00-10:00 p.m. “Grey’s Anatomy”
10:00-11:00 p.m. “Private Practice”


Friday, September 24
10:00 p.m. "20/20"

Sunday, September 26
7:00-8:00 p.m. “America’s Funniest Home Videos”
8:00-9:00 p.m. “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”
9:00-10:00 p.m. “Desperate Housewives”
10:00-11:00 p.m. “Brothers & Sisters”

Tuesday, September 28
8:00-9:00 p.m. “No Ordinary Family”
9:00-10:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars The Results Show”

TV Show Ranking 2009-2010 (Broadcast Network)

Despite the slump, American Idol is still the #1 show on TV, as this finale series ranking from Neilsen proves it.

This ranking is composed of two parts. The first one is the audience share (demographics) and the second is for total viewers. Each part is very significant to how networks decide on which shows are staying or going.

Based on this list, Undercover Boss, a reality show where CEO's disguise themselves to join their workforce, emerges as the #1 new series of the season, while Glee has the distinction of being the #1 new scripted series, along with NCIS LA.

The #1 comedy to beat is The Big Bang Theory. While NCIS (the original one) wins it big for its network. I'm glad The Mentalist is still ranking on top and that 24 left the boob tube with very high ratings overall, as well.

The list, after the cut.

Scoot Over Addison Forbes Montgomery, Emma Pillsbury is now my TV Fashion Icon

The other reason why I love watching Glee, aside from the singing and the dancing?

I'll give you a clue --- she's cheeky, she's colorful, she's this doe-eyed retro-geek you see in all these photos below.

She's Emma Pillsbury, the adorable Guidance Counsellor and Glee's resident neat freak. Does she not have the cutest sets of clothes and accessories?? Ever?

Jayma Mays, the actress who plays her, calls the style "quirky-chic". There's plenty of adjectives to describe it ---- prim, vintage, classic, retro, geeky. It's so unlike my previous fashion figure of choice, Addison (Kate Walsh), who usually wears these sophisticated designer clothes  on Private Practice.

Lou Eyrich is the costume designer for Emma and the rest of the cast of Glee, who last week dressed the girls up in eyelets, laces and sunshine-y yellow:

And because of this, I've been obsessing on vintage clothes on Ebay, finding the perfect Emma blouse.

Must. Resist. The. Urge. :P

Fall Season TV 2009 Premiere Dates [Sept to Dec]

* This is taken from the LA Times Blog.


Tuesday, Sept. 8
90210, 8 p.m. (CW)
Melrose Place, 9 p.m. (CW)
Sons of Anarchy, 10 p.m. (FX)

Wednesday, Sept. 9
America's Next Top Model, 8 p.m. (CW)
So You Think You Can Dance, 8 p.m. (Fox)
Glee, 9 p.m. (Fox)
Destination Truth, 10 p.m. (Syfy)

Thursday, Sept. 10
The Vampire Diaries, 8 p.m. (CW)
Supernatural, 9 p.m. (CW)

Saturday, Sept. 12
Cops, 8 p.m. (Fox)
America's Most Wanted, 9 p.m. (Fox)
Robin Hood, 9 p.m. (BBC America)

Monday, Sept. 14
One Tree Hill, 8 p.m. (CW)
Lincoln Heights, 8 p.m. (ABC Family)
Gossip Girl, 9 p.m. (CW)
The Jay Leno Show, 10 p.m. (NBC)

Tuesday, Sept. 15
The Biggest Loser, 8 p.m. (NBC)

Wednesday, Sept. 16
The Beautiful Life, 9 p.m. (CW)
The Ultimate Fighter, 10 p.m. (Spike TV)

Thursday, Sept. 17
Bones, 8 p.m. (Fox)
Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update Thursday, 8 p.m. (NBC)
Survivor: Samoa, 8 p.m. (CBS)
Parks and Recreation, 8:30 p.m. (NBC)
Fringe, 9 p.m. (Fox)
The Office, 9 p.m. (NBC)
Community, 9:30 p.m. (NBC)
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, 10 p.m. (FX)

Friday, Sept. 18
Crash, 10 p.m. (Starz)

Sunday, Sept. 20
Curb Your Enthusiasm, 9 p.m. (HBO)
Bored to Death, 9:30 pm (HBO)

Monday, Sept. 21
Dancing With the Stars, 8 p.m. (ABC)
Heroes, 8 p.m. (NBC)
House, 8 p.m. (Fox) (two-hour premiere)
How I Met Your Mother, 8 p.m. (CBS)
Accidentally on Purpose, 8:30 p.m. (CBS)
Two and a Half Men, 9 p.m. (CBS)
The Big Bang Theory, 9:30 p.m. (CBS)
Castle, 10 p.m. (ABC)
CSI: Miami, 10 p.m. (CBS)

Tuesday, Sept. 22
Dancing With the Stars, 8 p.m. (ABC)
NCIS, 8 p.m. (CBS)
NCIS: Los Angeles, 9 p.m. (CBS)
The Forgotten, 10 p.m. (ABC)
The Good Wife, 10 p.m. (CBS)

Wednesday, Sept. 23
Mercy, 8 p.m. (NBC)
The New Adventures of Old Christine, 8 p.m. (CBS)
Gary Unmarried, 8:30 p.m. (CBS)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, 9 p.m. (NBC)
Modern Family, 9 p.m. (ABC)
Criminal Minds, 9 p.m. (CBS)
Cougar Town, 9:30 p.m. (ABC)
CSI: NY, 10 p.m. (CBS)
Eastwick, 10 p.m. (ABC)

Thursday, Sept. 24
Flash Forward, 8 p.m. (ABC)
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, 9 p.m. (CBS)
Grey's Anatomy, 9 p.m. (ABC)
The Mentalist, 10 p.m. (CBS)

Friday, Sept. 25
Brothers, 8 p.m. (Fox)
Smallville, 8 p.m. (CW)
Ghost Whisperer, 8 p.m. (CBS)
Law & Order, 8 p.m. (NBC)
Dollhouse, 9 p.m. (Fox)
Medium, 9 p.m. (CBS) (new network)
Numb3rs, 10 p.m. (CBS)

Saturday, Sept. 26
Saturday Night Live, 11:30 p.m. (NBC)

Sunday, Sept. 27
60 Minutes, 7 p.m. (CBS)
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, 7 p.m. (ABC)
The Amazing Race, 8 p.m. (CBS)
The Simpsons, 8 p.m. (Fox)
The Cleveland Show, 8:30 p.m. (Fox)
Desperate Housewives, 9 p.m. (ABC)
Dexter, 9 p.m. (Showtime)
Family Guy, 9 p.m. (Fox)
American Dad, 9:30 p.m. (Fox)
Brothers & Sisters, 10 p.m. (ABC)
Californication, 10 p.m. (Showtime)
Cold Case, 10 p.m. (CBS)

Monday, Sept. 28
Lie to Me, 9 p.m. (Fox)
Trauma, 9 p.m. (NBC)

Tuesday, Sept. 29
Hell's Kitchen, 8 p.m. (Fox)
Shark Tank, 8 p.m. (ABC)
Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? 8 p.m., (My Network TV)
Dancing With the Stars, 9 p.m. (ABC)
The Hills, 10 p.m. (MTV)
The City, 10:30 p.m. (MTV)

Wednesday, Sept. 30
Hank, 8 p.m. (ABC)
The Middle, 8:30 pm. (ABC)
The Real World/Road Rules Challenge, 10 p.m. (MTV)

Thursday, Oct. 1
Private Practice, 10 p.m. (ABC)

Friday, Oct. 2
Star Wars: The Clone Wars, 8 p.m. (Cartoon Network)
WWE Friday Night SmackDown, 8 pm, (MyNetworkTV)
'Til Death, 8:30 p.m. (Fox)
Stargate Universe, 9 p.m. (Syfy)

Sunday, Oct. 4
America's Funniest Home Videos, 7 p.m (ABC)
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, 8 p.m. (ABC)
Three Rivers, 9 p.m. (CBS)

Monday, Oct. 5
Sherri, 7 p.m. (Lifetime)
Rita Rocks, 7:30 p.m. (Lifetime)

Tuesday, Oct. 6
Scare Tactics, 9 p.m. (Syfy)

Wednesday, Oct. 7
South Park, 10 p.m. (Comedy Central)
Secret Girlfriend, 10:30 p.m. (Comedy Central)

Friday, Oct. 9
Ugly Betty, 8 p.m. (ABC)
Sanctuary, 10 p.m. (Syfy)

Saturday, Oct. 10
The Girls Next Door, 10 p.m. (E!)

Tues, Oct. 14
Nip/Tuck, 10 p.m. (FX)

Thursday, Oct. 15
30 Rock, 9:30 p.m. (NBC)

Friday, Oct. 16
Supernanny, 8 p.m. (ABC)

Monday, Oct. 19
Little People, Big World, 10 p.m. (TLC)

Thursday, Oct. 22
The Jeff Dunham Show, 9 p.m. (Comedy Central)

Friday, Oct. 23
Southland, 9 p.m. (NBC)
White Collar, 10 p.m. (USA)

Wednesday, Oct. 28
Friday Night Lights, 9 p.m. (DirecTV 101 Channel)

Tuesday, Nov. 3
V, 8 p.m. (ABC)

Wednesday, Nov. 4
Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, 8 p.m. (TBS)
Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns, 9 p.m. (TBS)

Saturday, Nov. 7
The Wanda Sykes Show, 11 p.m. (Fox)

Monday, Nov. 9
Lopez Tonight (Mon.-Thurs.), 11 pm (TBS)

Friday, Nov. 13
The Very Funny Show (by Tim Meadows), 11:30 p.m. (TBS)

Monday, Dec. 7
The Closer, 9 p.m. (TNT)
Men of a Certain Age, 10 p.m. (TNT)

What's On Thursday's TV Schedule Fall 2009?

I used to love Thursday night line-ups from two or three years ago. But when net execs started shaking up this day's schedule, it stop becoming the TV day I look forward to (now it's Mondays & Wednesdays!).

• 8:00 Flash Forward (ABC), Survivor: Samoa (CBS), SNL: Thursday Update then Community by 10/15 (NBC)/Parks and Recreation (NBC), Bones (FOX), Vampire Diaries (CW)
• 9:00 Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), CSI (CBS), The Office (NBC)/Community or 30 Rock (NBC), Fringe (FOX), Supernatural (CW)
• 10:00 Private Practice (ABC), The Mentalist (CBS), The Jay Leno Show (NBC), It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX)

I am excited over: Flash Forward.

I am glad it's back: The Mentalist... and with a new character to boot, yeah?

I am curious to see PB & J's wedding on The Office.

I have already stopped watching Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice altogether and I think I'll check out Fringe now and then, not necessarily gonna tune to it weekly.

I wish I could already finish the back episodes for It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia so I could catch up. Obviously I can't do that right now...

Catching Up!

Still have a long list of TV shows I am not (yet) watching. I have got to get back in the game. I'm starting to get agitated! Grrr.

Anyway, I've got to catch up on at least two or three weeks worth of episodes of ----

• Scrubs
• 24
• House
• Lie To Me
• Leverage
• Legend of The Seeker
  
• Trust Me (which I started watching this morning....like it!)
• Private Practice (I am thinking of letting this one go now, just waiting for the cross-over episode with Grey's Anatomy)
• Privileged
• Fringe
• Being Erica
• The Last Templar (Da Vinci Code for TV starring Mira Sorvino...not sure how great it is, we'll see...)
  
• Being Human (British series about ghosts, werewolves and witches living like regular people....this storyline is starting to get so beaten)

And of course, there's American Idol, everyone's guilty pleasure. Who are you liking so far? I'm rooting for that Danny Gokey guy. That dude who looks like Downey, Jr.

Later!

TV Ratings [11.20.08]

Well, I've come to terms with the fact that Pushing Daisies will be canceled. The numbers aren't improving at all. Last night's episode was beautiful, but I really don't think an average viewer gets it. I'll begin mourning now...

8.00 Block
Bones Fox 10.73 M/3.1
Gary Unmarried CBS 8.14 M/2.7
New Adventures Of Old Christine CBS 8.09 M/2.5
Knight Rider NBC 5.12 M/1.5
Pushing Daisies ABC 4.86 M/1.8
America’s Next Top Model The CW 4.80 M/2.3

9.00 Block
Criminal Minds CBS 16.38 M/4.3
Private Practice ABC 7.14 M/2.4
House (Repeat) Fox 5.73 M/2.2
Life NBC 5.32 M/1.7
Stylista The CW 2.16 M/1.0

10.00 Block
CSI: New-York CBS 14.00 M/3.8
Law & Order NBC 7.58 M/2.2
Dirty Sexy Money ABC 5.63 M/1.8

Mid Season Report: New TV Show Premieres Dec 2008 to April 2009

Mid season replacements on the way, couch potatoes!

This section will be regularly updated as new schedules and new television series for airing December 2008 are being released by the networks this month. Old favorites like 24, Lost, Damages, Burn Notice or Friday Night Lights are returning, but we'll keep tabs on those new to television.

What will you be watching from this new line-up?

DECEMBER

SECRET MILLIONAIRE (FOX) Premiere: 12/3/08 at 8:00 PM Schedule: Wednesdays 8:00 PM-10:00 PM EST FOX reveals a wealth of millionaires participating in SECRET MILLIONAIRE, the inspirational new unscripted series premiering Wednesday, Dec. 3 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. The millionaires include an internet mogul worth $300 million, a husband-and-wife team who own a multi-million dollar magazine-publishing business, a successful Southern California lawyer, an owner of a restaurant empire, a Baltimore socialite and former NFL cheerleader as well as a software inventor worth $50 million. The secret millionaires will leave their opulent lifestyles and go undercover to experience life in some of the most impoverished areas of the country including a community devastated by Hurricane Katrina, an old coal-mining town in Schuylkill County, PA, and areas outside of Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas, where people in need live just minutes from those in upscale, gated communities. Challenged with living on minimum wage, the millionaires will immerse themselves in situations beyond their comprehension. They will work side-by-side with community members and befriend those in need. During their stay, they decide who of their new-found friends, neighbors or co-workers should ultimately receive their extraordinary gifts of a lifetime at least $100,000 of their own money.

LEVERAGE (TNT) Premiere: 12/7/08 at 10:00 PM Schedule: Tuesdays 10:00 PM-11:00 PM EST TNT has given the greenlight to the thrilling, action-packed drama series LEVERAGE, starring Oscar® winner Timothy Hutton (Ordinary People, Nero Wolfe) and executive-produced by Dean Devlin (Independence Day, TNT’s The Librarian) and John Rogers (Cosby). The series follows a team of thieves, hackers and grifters who act as modern-day Robin Hoods, taking revenge against those who use power and wealth to victimize others. TNT has ordered 13 episodes of LEVERAGE, which comes to the network from Devlin’s Electric Entertainment. Devlin makes his directorial debut on the pilot, which was written by Rogers (Transformers) and Chris Downey (The King of Queens). LEVERAGE is slated to premiere on TNT later this year. “LEVERAGE is great entertainment,” said Michael Wright, senior vice president in charge of the content creation group for TNT, TBS and TCM. “It’s fast-paced, smart and just great fun. Dean Devlin directed the pilot to perfection. Timothy Hutton is outstanding, and he and the cast around him have a great chemistry. This is a new genre for us in our series efforts, and it’s great to be able to tackle it with Dean. His Librarian movies for TNT have been huge successes. We couldn’t be happier having him and John Rogers bring that same sense of style and storytelling to us in series form.” In LEVERAGE, Hutton plays former insurance investigator Nate Ford, a once-loyal corporate employee who had recovered millions of dollars in stolen goods for his employer. But when that employer denied his son’s insurance claims and allowed the boy to die, he realized he could no longer work for such an entity. Out of work and descending into alcoholism, Ford is hired by an aeronautics executive to recover airplane designs the executive claims were stolen by a rival company. Helping him are four highly skilled team members: Parker (Beth Riesgraf – Alvin and the Chipmunks), an expert thief; Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge – Friday Night Lights), a specialist in Internet and computer fraud; Eliot Spencer (Christian Kane – Into the West), a high-octane “retrieval specialist” who can take out a gang of henchmen without breaking a sweat; and Sophie Devereaux (Gina Bellman – Coupling), a grifter who could win awards for her acting skills during difficult scams. At first the newly formed team is hesitant to trust each other after so many years working alone but being double-crossed changes the dynamic, ultimately forcing them to unite. They emerge from the job realizing they are far better working together than apart. Once they discover they can trust each other the group targets their cons toward the richest, the greediest and the most unjust.

MOMMA'S BOYS (NBC) Premiere: 12/16/08 at 10:00 PM Schedule: Mondays 9:00 PM-10:00 PM EST WHO IS THE MOST IMPORTANT WOMAN IN A MAN'S LIFE? "Momma's Boys" centers on a group of mothers who must help choose the perfect woman for their complacent sons. Ultimately, the series poses the question: Who is really the most important woman in every man's life? In "Momma's Boys," love is in the air, but the story is told from a new television perspective because first, the women will have to get by Mom. Drama ensues when numerous mothers and their eligible bachelor sons are housed together with several single women. As the tension mounts, viewers will watch as possessive mothers influence their sons' search for the perfect mate. Some of the possible brides are "nice girls" while others might not be as presentable. As expected, rivalries are formed, drama mounts and emotion builds as crucial choices are made.

JANUARY

UNITED STATES OF TARA, THE (SHOWTIME) Premiere: 1/18/09 at 10:00 PM Schedule: Sundays 10:00 PM-10:30 PM EST Showtime Networks has fast-tracked the pickup of THE UNITED STATES OF TARA, a new 12 episode half-hour comedy series starring Academy Award(R)-nominated actress Toni Collette ("Little Miss Sunshine") as a wife and mother who suffers from disassociative identity (formerly multiple personality) disorder, it was announced today by Robert Greenblatt, President of Entertainment for Showtime. The comedy series, a co-production of Dreamworks Television and Showtime Networks, will delve into how a dysfunctional family, including Tara's working husband played by John Corbett ("Sex and the City"), copes with the various identities that may appear on any given day and range in age, temperament and even gender.

LIE TO ME (FOX) Premiere: 1/21/09 at 9:00 PM Schedule: Wednesdays from 9:00 PM-10:00 PM EST FOX has given a series commitment to LIE TO ME, a compelling new drama from Imagine Television and 20th Century Fox Television. Tim Roth ("The Incredible Hulk") and Kelli Williams ("The Practice") star in this fascinating character drama inspired by a real-life specialist who can read clues embedded in the human face, body and voice to expose the truth behind the lies in criminal investigations. LIE TO ME is scheduled to premiere midseason. When you scratch your chin, wring your hands, wrinkle your nose or swallow too much, Dr. Cal Lightman (Roth) knows you're lying. He doesn't just think so he knows so. As the foremost deception expert in the country, Dr. Lightman can uncover the deepest secrets and crack the hardest cases. More accurate than any polygraph, he knows whether those in front of him be they family, friends, criminals or complete strangers are honest or not. Dr. Lightman heads up The Lightman Group, a private agency contracted by the FBI, local police, law firms, corporations and private individuals when they hit roadblocks in their searches for the truth. Joining him at the agency are a variety of experts in the field of behavioral evaluation: Dr. Gillian Foster (Williams) is a gifted psychologist and Lightman's professional partner, a woman whose guidance he needs whether he knows it or not; Will Loker (Brendan Hines) is Lightman's lead researcher who practices "radical honesty" at all times; and Ria Torres (Monica Raymund) is the newest member of the team, selected for her innate ability to read body language and catch certain clues that her colleagues may miss.

TRUE BEAUTY (ABC) Premiere: 1/5/09 at 10:00 PM Schedule: Mondays 10:00 PM-11:00 PM EST What makes a person truly beautiful? Executive producers Tyra Banks ("The Tyra Banks Show," "America's Next Top Model") and Ashton Kutcher (executive producer of "Punk'd" and "Beauty and the Geek") re-define the concept of beauty in a wildly revealing new ABC series, "True Beauty," premiering, MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2009 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. Hosted and judged by Vanessa Minnillo (former host of "TRL" and "ET"), along with judges Cheryl Tiegs (America's first supermodel, currently designer and author) and Nol Marin ("America's Next Top Model" and fashion expert for E!, TV Guide, "The Tyra Banks Show"), the series will determine the "True Beauty" of six stunning females and four handsome males who will live together in a spectacular Los Angeles mansion as they undergo a series of challenges to determine who is truly the most beautiful. The gorgeous contestants assume they're being judged solely on their outer appearance. They're only half right; outer beauty is one component the judges are looking for, but contestants are also being evaluated -- unbeknownst to them -- for their INNER beauty as well when they're put through scenarios and situations that require them to make moral decisions. Each episode will showcase an outer beauty and an inner beauty challenge, during which contestants will be judged on everything from how well they perform in photo shoots to how well they respect their elders. The three judges will observe and critique the contestants' behavior and eliminate one person each week. Only after someone is eliminated will the truth about the show be revealed to him/her, as they watch a video montage of their behavior captured by a hidden camera during the shoot. At the end of eight episodes, one winner will be declared, a person who is truly beautiful inside and out. That person will receive a cash prize and a spot in PEOPLE magazine's 100 Most Beautiful People issue.

HOMELAND SECURITY USA (ABC) Premiere: 1/6/09 8:00 PM Schedule: Tuesdays from 8:00 PM-9:00 PM EST Border Security USA or Homeland Security USA is a realistic, "front-line" look at the men and women of The Department of Homeland Security who protect our land, sea, and air borders, and all our ports-of-entry from everything illegal and dangerous. The series chronicles what happens when our film crews shadow the Transportation Security Administration, United States Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, the Border Patrol, Immigration Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services all over the United States, including Hawaii, Alaska and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. It's not only the story of the people of DHS but the endless characters from around the world whom they meet every day.

13 FEAR IS REAL (CW) Premiere: 1/07/09 at 8:00 PM Schedule: Wednesdays from 8:00 PM-9:00 PM EST "13", a spine-tingling new eight-episode series combining the horror genre with a reality show format, scheduled to premiere this summer on The CW, begins casting on March 31 in Los Angeles. Casting directors are looking for men and women between the ages of 18-30 who are energetic, competitive and full of personality to be part of television's first scary competition reality show and win a grand prize of $66,666.

FEBRUARY

DOLLHOUSE (FOX) Premiere: 2/13/09 at 9:00 PM Schedule: Fridays from 9:00 PM-10:00 PM EST Joss Whedon, creator of groundbreaking cult favorites "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Firefly," returns to television and reunites with fellow "Buffy" alumna Eliza Dushku for a thrilling new drama, DOLLHOUSE. ECHO (Dushku) is an "Active," a member of a highly illegal and underground group who have had their personalities wiped clean so they can be imprinted with any number of new personas. Confined to a secret facility known as the "Dollhouse," Echo and the other Actives including SIERRA (Dichen Lachman, "Neighbours") and VICTOR (Enver Gjokaj, "The Unit") carry out engagements assigned by ADELLE (Olivia Williams, "X-Men: The Last Stand," "Rushmore"), one of the Dollhouse leaders. The engagements cater to the wealthy, powerful and connected, and require the Actives to immerse themselves in all manner of scenarios romantic, criminal, uplifting, dangerous, comical and the occasional "pro bono" good deed. After each scenario, Echo, always under the watchful eye of her handler BOYD (Harry Lennix, "Commander in Chief," 24), returns to the mysterious Dollhouse where her thoughts, feelings and experiences are erased by TOPHER (Fran Kranz, "Welcome to the Captain"), the Dollhouse's genius programmer. Echo enters the next scenario with no memory of before. Or does she? As the series progresses, FBI Agent PAUL SMITH (Tahmoh Penikett, "Battlestar Galactica") pieces together clues that lead him closer to the Dollhouse, while Echo stops forgetting, her memories begin to return and she slowly pieces together her mysterious past. DOLLHOUSE revolves around Echo's blossoming self-awareness and her desire to discover her true identity. But with each new engagement, comes a new memory and increased danger inside and outside the Dollhouse.

MARCH

CASTLE (ABC) Premiere: 3/9/2009 10:00 PM Schedule: Monday from 10:00 PM-9:00 PM EST Wildly famous mystery novelist Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion, "Desperate Housewives"), who is bored with his own success, learns that a real-world copycat killer has started staging murder scenes depicted in his novels. Rick is soon questioned by NYPD Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic, "The Spirit"), a very bright, aggressive detective who keeps her investigations under tight rein. Rick and Kate's styles instantly clash, yet sparks begin to fly, leading both to danger and a hint of romance as Castle steps in to help find the killer. And once that case is solved, he and Beckett build upon their new relationship as they look to solve strange homicides in New York as much fun as one can have with death & murder. Castle is kept grounded by his Broadway diva mother, Martha Rodgers (Susan Sullivan, "Dharma and Greg") and quick-witted teenage daughter Alexis (Molly Quinn, "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story").

CUPID (ABC) Premiere: 3/24/2009 10:00 PM Schedule: Tuesdays from 10:00 PM-9:00 PM EST Like any big city, New York has its share of characters. But the newest one isn't like the rest. For starters, his goal in life is to help people fall in love, which isn't such a bad thing. But he says he must create 100 happily-ever-afters in order to return to his home—Mount Olympus. Because he's Cupid, the ancient Roman god of love. Duh. He claims being punished by the other Gods for the modern world's sorry state of love, and was sent to Earth without his famed bow and arrow, to rediscover what really makes love work. As fate would have it, Cupid, sometimes known as Trevor Hale, is under the care of famous psychologist and self-help author Dr. Claire Allen. Even though Claire disagrees with Trevor's methods, she can't argue with the sentiment, since she too is dedicated to helping lonely hearts find their soul mates. But these two experts in love couldn't be more different: he believes love blooms fast and carnal and passionate, while she thinks it grows slowly, moderately and sensibly. While he busies himself making matches, she endeavors to figure out who Trevor really is. Is he a man who's losing his mind after the loss of his one true love? Is he really crazy? Or (gulp) is he really Cupid? From writer-creator Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars) comes a re-imagining of his 1998 cult favorite series of the same name. Bobby Cannavale stars in this romantic-comedy procedural that will match up a new loving couple each week, though romance may not always bloom quite where we expect it to. This warm, witty series is a charming reminder that even though true love may be madness… it's the only thing keeping us sane.

KINGS (NBC) Premiere: 3/19/2009 10:00 PM Schedule: Thursdays from 10:00 PM-11:00 PM EST Kings" is the story of David Shepherd, an idealistic soldier who is thrust into the heart of power by one act of heroism. After single-handedly defeating the enemies of his people, David is rewarded by being brought into the court of King Silas, monarch of the modern nation of Gilboa. David is initially dazzled by the pageantry and glamour of life among the royals, only to learn that the palace is teeming with deception. The young hero soon becomes a target for the deadly schemes of those vying for control of the kingdom. But he finds support from a beautiful princess, the king's own daughter... and their forbidden romance will launch David on a daring path to adventure. As the line between friends and enemies blurs, David must survive the treacherous corridors of power and forge a new destiny that will forever change the world. "Kings" takes place in a modern-day kingdom named Gilboa, and its shining metropolitan capital of Shiloh. It is ruled by King Benjamin Silas, the nation’s much-loved monarch, who unified several warring territories to found Gilboa many years ago. They have since built a proud and prosperous nation. While not a perfect society, the kingdom is a beacon of hope and idealism. But the dark clouds of war continue to rumble in the north, where the forces of enemy nation Gath are massing to invade, and threaten to destroy all that King Silas has created... That is, until a young soldier named David slays a fearsome Goliath tank, rallying the nation... and turning the tide of history.

APRIL

THE UNUSUALS (ABC) Premiere: 4/08/09 at 8:00 PM Schedule: Wednesdays from 10:00 PM-11:00 PM EST As a cop, it helps to have a twisted sense of humor—because every moment could be your last. Just ask Casey Shraeger. She started her day as an NYPD vice detective posing as a Lincoln Tunnel hooker before unexpectedly being transferred to the homicide division. Casey quickly realizes that not only does everyone in her new department have a distinct sense of humor but everyone also has their own dirty little secret… Sgt. Brown is lusting after Detective Beaumont. Detective Delahoy is nursing a brain tumor and trying to die a noble death in the line of duty. His partner Detective Banks just turned 52 and fears that, like his father, he won't make it to 53. Detective Cole is deeply religious but has a shady past. And although Casey's new partner, Detective Walsh, appears to be clean, while investigating the murder of his former partner, Casey uncovers evidence that suggests that even Walsh may have a secret or two. Casey has a secret of her own. She grew up wealthy and privileged in New York high society and became a cop because she saw first hand how money can buy justice. As she learns from the precinct's mysterious and seldom-seen Lt. Little, Casey was brought to the homicide division because she's one of the few honest cops in the district. And with her help, Lt. Little plans to start cleaning house. Equal parts NYPD Blue and The Office, The Unusuals is a unique comedic procedural whose realistic setting makes the frequent laughs that much more outrageous. Writer Noah Hawley (a producer on Bones) confidently takes the police procedural into fresh, uncharted waters. Stephen Hopkins (24, Californication) directs.

HARPER'S ISLAND (CBS) Premiere: 4/9/09 10:00 PM Schedule: Thursdays from 10:00 PM-11:00 PM EST HARPER'S ISLAND is about a group of family and friends who travel to a secluded island for a destination wedding. They've come to laugh... to love... and, though they don't know it... to die. As the wedding festivities begin, friendships are tested and secrets exposed as a murderer claims victims, one by one, transforming the wedding week of fun and celebration into a terrifying struggle for survival. In every episode, someone is killed and every person is a suspect, from the wedding party to the island locals. By the end of the 13 episodes, all questions will be answered, the killer will be revealed and only a few will survive.

THE GOODE FAMILY (ABC) Premiere: Schedule: Wednesdays from 8:30 PM-9:00 PM EST A new animated series from Mike Judge, creator of "King of the Hill." "The Goode Family" is obsessed with doing the "right" thing, whether it's environmentally, politically or socially. Unfortunately their efforts often have unintended comic consequences. "The Goode Family" is voiced by Mike Judge as Gerald, Nancy Carell as Helen, Dave Herman as Ubuntu and Abby Elliot as Bliss. Executive producers for "The Goode Family" are Mike Judge, David Krinsky, John Altschuler, Michael Rotenberg and Tom Lassally. The series is produced by MRC and 3 Arts Entertainment.