FALL PREVIEW 2011: The Sophomore Class

This week, I will be doing the Fall Preview but ahead of that, I wanted to take a look at the sophomore class. So much of this blog focuses on the new shows - from the reviews to the freshman scorecard to the season in review and these shows will no longer be at the forefront of this blog. So as the precious few that made it to a second season in a rough year for new shows (of the 40 new shows to debut in season, 10 are returning), I will look at each one's chances to see a season 3. Then check back each day this week for a day by day preview of the new season!

Mike & Molly is back for a second season in its same timeslot - Mondays at 9:30pm. Last fall, it got off to a good but not great start as it took over for The Big Bang Theory in a plum timeslot. It seemed like it was on the rise until Charlie Sheen's antics caused lead-in Two and a Half Men to cease airing original episodes in February. The rest of the season, Mike & Molly had to deal with a repeat lead-in. Considering that, it performed admirably which bodes well for the fall with a new (and hyped) lead-in again with Men. It also doesn't hurt that Melissa McCarthy got an Emmy nomination for her role as Molly and garnered critical acclaim for her performance in the movie Bridesmaids this summer. I watched Mike & Molly all season and liked it but didn't love it. With many new shows to catch, I may not keep up with it this season but it did seem to improve in quality as the season went on. I think we'll see it again in 2012-2013.

Last year at this time, one of the most hyped new shows was CBS's big splashy remake of Hawaii Five-0. While it returns for a second season, it didn't have the impact many thought it would and it especially suffered when CBS's lineup weakened in the spring without Two and a Half Men. It will likely continue to fight with Castle throughout the fall but it will be interesting come February when NBC's heavily hyped Smash joins the 10pm competition. I really was excited about Hawaii but I could never really get into it and only watched it sporadically. I caught a few repeats this summer and it still didn't do much for me. It is a steady performer for CBS if not spectacular so I think it will air for several years to come.

FOX's Raising Hope was the first new show to get renewed for a second season and this year it will slide back half an hour to 9:30pm. The show had a solid start but bled a lot of its Glee lead-in. As Glee faded a bit in the spring, so did Hope. It has a cult audience but not a very big one and probably not a lot of room for growth which makes its chances for 2012-2013 iffy especially if FOX's New Girl hits. Still, it was one of the rare new shows (along with Mike & Molly) to get an Emmy nomination - for Martha Plimpton as Best Lead Actress.

CBS has three of its five shows from last fall coming back with the final one being Blue Bloods. While it doesn't get much attention airing in a sleepy Friday timeslot, it has stabilized a rough slot for CBS which the year before had the fading NUMBER$ and freshman failure Miami Medical. It skews very old as was expected but regularly gets 10-11 million viewers which is good for Fridays. CBS tried to air it for a few weeks on Wednesdays where it didn't get great numbers, but it belongs on Fridays. It will probably occupy this slot for several more years. I did not watch this show regularly but have enjoyed it when I've caught it.

A midseason show that will see a season two (again at midseason) is Bob's Burgers. The cartoon had a great debut following an NFL playoff game but faded quickly and really struggled, making a renewal surprising. If FOX has success with either of its two new cartoons, it could be in trouble especially if it airs at 7:30pm as planned in the spring. FOX needs to make decisions on cartoons early which may have lead to the renewal but this one doesn't seem like it will be the next Family Guy or even American Dad!

NBC's Harry's Law is another midseason renewal. The Kathy Bates show did not seem like it would have any luck airing on a disastrous Monday night for NBC but then out of nowhere, it had a big debut and big follow ups. Though it faded down the stretch in quality and ratings, it did enough early on to earn a season two. Bates did get an Emmy nomination for her role but the show has undergone major retooling this summer after it fell apart creatively at the end. The biggest problem will be a killer timeslot against Modern Family, Criminal Minds, and the new X-Factor. It might skew even older and a season three seems unlikely unless NBC has another season in the toilet. I don't think I'll stick with this show, I lost interest by the end last season and Wednesday is a crowded night.

One of ABC's two survivors from an unsuccessful freshman class is drama Body of Proof, which will return in the same timeslot. A late entry in the season, it proved to be a more compatible partner with Dancing with the Stars than the failed Detroit 1-8-7. The big question will be how can it do when it doesn't have a Dancing lead-in. Still, in the fall, it should be a success as the competition is similar to last year (with the new Unforgettable replacing The Good Wife on CBS). I watched some episodes last spring but I don't think this is a show I'll be watching regularly.

A very late renewal came for FOX's Breaking In. The Christian Slater comedy aired out of American Idol and had decent numbers but bled a huge amount of Idol's lead-in. It was cancelled back in May but then just a few weeks ago was given a second life for a midseason debut. Although this is the little show that could, a season three seems very unlikely because this show only pulled the numbers it did due to the lead-in. It won't be able to do anything if it has to air on its own.

Another underperformer that is being given a second chance is ABC's Happy Endings. The show had the tough task of airing in the 10pm hour but it actually performed slightly above expectations and garnered some buzz on the internet. ABC desperately wants this show to be a hit and is giving it the best possible chance - airing directly after Modern Family on Wednesday nights. However, its repeat numbers were pretty terrible this summer and it doesn't seem all that compatible with Family. Its ratings will be up from last year, but can it even match Cougar Town's ratings in the same slot? We'll see. For the life of me, I can't understand the appeal of this show.

The final entry to the 2010-2011 season was also arguably its biggest hit - NBC's singing competition The Voice. It will return for a second season with the complete set of all star coaches directly following the Super Bowl. It was a monster in the demo and will likely have a major impact on the Monday landscape when it arrives in February. NBC was smart to wait until midseason for this show but they took a shot at getting a big singing series out ahead of X-Factor and it paid off. This might be the show to help NBC climb out of fourth place.