THE FRIDAY FIVE: Top 5 TV News Stories of the Week Ending 4/30/21

Here's a look at my Top 5 TV news stories of the week!

#1 - OSCAR RATINGS COLLAPSE

Everyone saw it coming and there was no pleasant surprise. The Oscars were the latest awards show pandemic victim. The critically panned ceremony plunged 58% from last year to an all-time low and badly miscalculated the format itself with lots of critiques on the dullness of the night. They also made a very bad gamble that the late Chadwick Boseman would win Best Actor and decided to end the night with that award instead of Best Picture. Of course Boseman did not win and the winner was an absent Anthony Hopkins so the night ended with a thud. The ratings drop is not surprising. People are tired of pandemic awards shows and it was hard for the nominated movies to be a big draw with theaters closed a lot of the year. But they certainly didn't do themselves any favors with how the show was put together. I hope next year brings a more normal ceremony and better ratings.

EPISODE GUIDES: Parks and Recreation Season Five

On Thursdays, I go through classic series with a critical look at each season. Today I am looking at Season Five of Parks and Recreation!

PARKS AND RECREATION: SEASON FIVE
2012-2013
22 episodes

After a tremendous election arc throughout season four, Leslie settles into office in season five and this season also features a major wedding. There isn't as much of a focused arc in this season but it graded out every so slightly higher than season four thanks to more really strong episodes. By this point in its run, the characters have become so defined and strong that even mundane plots and B or C stories are enjoyable. 

Starring

Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope (22 episodes)

Rashida Jones as Ann Perkins (21 episodes)
Aziz Ansari as Tom Haverford (22 episodes)
Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson (22 episodes)
Aubrey Plaza as April Ludgate (22 episodes)
Chris Pratt as Andy Dwyer (22 episodes)

Rob Lowe as Chris Traeger (22 episodes)

Adam Scott as Ben Wyatt (22 episodes)

Jim O'Heir as Jerry Gergich (21 episodes)

Retta as Donna Meagle (22 episodes)

James Greene as Councilman Milton (10 episodes)

Jon Glaser as Councilman Jamm (9 episodes)

Yvans Jourdain as Councilman Howser (8 episodes)

Richard Burch as Herman Lerpiss (5 episodes)

Lucy Lawless as Diane Lewis (5 episodes)
Kevin Symons as Councilman Bill Dexhart (5 episodes)
Alison Becker as Shauna Malwae-Tweep (4 episodes)

Rylan Lee as Ivy Lewis (4 episodes)

Sadie Salazar as Zoe Lewis (4 episodes)

Mo Collins as Joan Callamezzo (3 episodes)

Colton Dunn as Brett (3 episodes)

Jay Jackson as Perd Hapley (3 episodes)
Ben Schwartz as Jean-Ralphio Saperstein (3 episodes)

Jenny Slate as Mona Lisa Saperstein (3 episodes)

Helen Slayton-Hughes as Ethel Beavers (3 episodes)

Cooper Thornton as Dr. Harris (3 episodes)

Harris Wittels as Harris (3 episodes)

Kirk Fox as Joe (2 episodes)

Darlene Hunt as Marcia Langman (2 episodes)

Eric Isenhower as Orin (2 episodes)

Joe Mande as Morris (2 episodes)

Mara Marini as Brandi Maxxxx (2 episodes)

Jim Meskiman as Martin Housely (2 episodes)

Mike Mitchell as Bjorn Lerpiss (2 episodes)

Mark Rivers as Rivers (2 episodes)

Alan Yang as Chang (2 episodes)

Susan Yeagley as Jessica Wicks (2 episodes)

John Balma as Barney (1 episode)

Andrew Burlinson as Burly (1 episode)

Mel Cowan as Mel (1 episode)

Kathryn Hahn as Jennifer Barkley (1 episode)

Marc Evan Jackson as Trevor Nelsson (1 episode)

Will McLaughlin as Officer Killnose (1 episode)

Megan Mullally as Tammy Swanson (1 episode)

Pamela Reed as Marlene Griges-Knope (1 episode)

69. Ms. Knope Goes to Washington (9/20/12)
Leslie and Andy visit Ben and April in Washington DC. Ron takes over hosting the thank you barbecue for Parks employees. Ann and Tom try to keep pretending they are together even though they have been broken up for months.

The cameo filled season opener includes appearances by Senators Barbara Boxer and Olympia Snowe as well as a very funny brief appearance from the late Senator John McCain. This was the first time Parks started to include some real life political figures. It might seem a little gimmicky but the show always knew how to incorporate it in a funny way. Amy Poehler does terrific work in this episode. Her faces say so much as she starts to feel like what she's doing is not important compared to what Ben is doing. There's also some really funny lines from Chris Pratt. The barbecue storyline is serviceable but not the highlight of the episode though it does have a sweet resolution. A solid start to season five.
RATING: 8/10

70. Soda Tax (9/27/12)
Leslie faces backlash after introducing a bill to tax soda in Pawnee. Ben is having trouble with his interns' work ethic. Chris and Tom help train Andy to become a police officer.

This episode juggles a lot of different stories without them really intersecting. Sometimes episodes like that can suffer compared to when the cast is together but this is a strong one thanks to at least two of the stories being super strong (the Andy/Chris/Tom story is only alright). Cringey comedy usually doesn't make me cringe but boy do I feel for Ben when he's trying to be the cool boss in the office. It's just so uncomfortable but well played by Adam Scott. The soda tax story delivers a delightful town hall scene and is a good story for Leslie's growth as a character.
RATING: 8/10

ONE SEASON WONDERS: Too Something

On Wednesdays, I look at shows that lasted one season or less. Today I am looking at 1990s flop Too Something (which became New York Daze). 

TOO SOMETHING (also known as NEW YORK DAZE)

Programming Details:
October 1, 1995 - June 23, 1996
9 episodes
FOX

Starring: Donal Lardner Ward, Eric Schaeffer, Lisa Gerstein, Portia de Rossi, Mindy Seeger
Created by: Eric Schaeffer, Donal Lardner Ward & Efrem Seeger

Plot: Aspiring photographer Donny Reeves (Ward) and aspiring author Eric McDougal (Schaeffer) are roommates in Manhattan who also work together in a mailroom for a large firm. The rest of the cast is friend Evelyn (Gerstein), dog walker Daisy (Seeger) and new co-worker Maria (Rossi).

TOP 10 TUESDAY: Top 10 TV Weddings

Tuesdays are Top 10 Tuesdays where I count down a topic in the TV realm. This week is Top 10 TV Weddings!

Close Calls

Hank & Sarah - Parenthood

Cam & Mitch - Modern Family

Dwight & Angela - The Office

10. Jeannie & Tony - I Dream of Jeannie

The coupling of Jeannie and Tony may have been a "jump the shark" event for I Dream of Jeannie but their wedding itself is a pretty fun episode. The idea that Jeannie can't be photographed makes for a madcap wedding ceremony and it feels very sweet even if you know it means the show can't go on much longer.

9. Max & 99 - Get Smart

Another madcap wedding, Max and 99 getting married was less of a death sentence on its show. It was very fitting that it was wrapped up in a mission and it leads to a truly hilarious sequence during the actual ceremony. 

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1989-1990 Mondays

On Mondays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Mondays in the 1989-90 season!

ABC	8:00	9:00	10:00
Sep	MacGyver	Monday Night Football
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan		Monday Night Movie
Feb
Mar
Apr		China Beach	Capital News
May		Monday Night Movie

For most of the season, ABC had the same plan on Monday nights as they had for the previous three seasons: MacGyver at 8pm followed by Monday Night Football in the fall and Monday Night Movie in the spring. The Fall 1989 season was the first that used the famous Hank Williams Jr. song for an intro for Monday Night Football. Late in the season, ABC made an attempt at a three hour drama lineup, getting rid of the movie. MacGyver continued to air at 8pm. The critically acclaimed China Beach continued to bounce around timeslots and landed at 9pm while the new Capital News aired at 10pm. Capital News was a DC-set newspaper drama starring Mark Blum and Lloyd Bridges. Although they were three dramas, they were not very compatible ones with the male-skewing action drama MacGyver, leading to the female-skewing critical darling China Beach leading into the old-skewing generic drama Capital News. The lineup lasted just three weeks before ABC went back to the Monday Night Movie for May sweeps. China Beach was renewed again but Capital News was quickly forgotten.

THE FRIDAY FIVE: Top 5 TV News Stories of the Week Ending 4/23/21

Here's a look at my Top 5 TV news stories of the week!

#1 - "HOW I MET YOUR FATHER" COMING TO HULU

The biggest new series news of the week came from Hulu where they handed a straight to series order to How I Met Your Father, a show with the same premise of (you guessed it) How I Met Your Mother. The new series stars Hillary Duff and counts the original creators among its executive producers. This has been a long gestating idea. As How I Met Your Mother was ending in 2014, there was a pilot for CBS called How I Met Your Dad starring Greta Gerwig. It was a surprising pass then (although the negative reaction to the original's finale probably didn't help) and the series has toiled around in development for years since. Now it will get a chance on Hulu. I'm mixed on this, I'm not sure we need to do this concept again when the original had so many wonderful things but its gimmick ultimately proved to be its downfall.

EPISODE GUIDES: Parks and Recreation Season Four

On Thursdays, I go through classic series with a critical look at each season. Today I am looking at Season Four of Parks and Recreation!

PARKS AND RECREATION: SEASON FOUR
2011-2012
22 episodes

The fourth season of Parks and Recreation is one of the most focused seasons in recent memory of any show as it has a through line and really sticks to it to great effect. Leslie runs for City Council and the series mines consistently funny plots and comedy from that season-long arc. It also features some terrific guest and recurring appearances. The series really fires on all cylinders at this point and I think many would rightly consider this the "sweet spot" of the Parks and Recreation run even though there's never a real dip in quality.

Starring

Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope (22 episodes)

Rashida Jones as Ann Perkins (22 episodes)
Aziz Ansari as Tom Haverford (22 episodes)
Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson (22 episodes)
Aubrey Plaza as April Ludgate (22 episodes)
Chris Pratt as Andy Dwyer (22 episodes)

Rob Lowe as Chris Traeger (22 episodes)

Adam Scott as Ben Wyatt (22 episodes)

Jim O'Heir as Jerry Gergich (22 episodes)

Retta as Donna Meagle (22 episodes)

Jay Jackson as Perd Hapley (6 episodes)
Kathryn Hahn as Jennifer Barkley (5 episodes)
Antonia Raftu as Elizabeth (5 episodes)
Johnny Sneed as William Barnes (5 episodes)
Ben Schwartz as Jean-Ralphio Saperstein (4 episodes)
Andy Forrest as Kyle (3 episodes)

Andrew Burlinson as Burly (2 episodes)

Mo Collins as Joan Callamezzo (2 episodes)

Mel Cowan as Mel (2 episodes)

Kirk Fox as Joe (2 episodes)

Eric Isenhower as Orin (2 episodes)

Will McLaughlin as Officer Killnose (2 episodes)

Megan Mullally as Tammy Swanson (2 episodes)
Pamela Reed as Marlene Griges-Knope (2 episodes)

Mark Rivers as Rivers (2 episodes)

Cooper Thornton as Dr. Harris (2 episodes)

Alan Yang as Chang (2 episodes)

John Balma as Barney (1 episode)
Alison Becker as Shauna Malwae-Tweep (1 episode)
Louis C.K. as Dave Sanderson (1 episode)

Yvans Jourdain as Councilman Howser (1 episode)

Mara Marini as Brandi Maxxxx (1 episode)

Mike Mitchell as Bjorn Lerpiss (1 episode)

Natalie Morales as Lucy (1 episode)
Helen Slayton-Hughes as Ethel Beavers (1 episode)

Harris Wittels as Harris (1 episode)

47. I'm Leslie Knope (9/22/11)
Leslie tries to figure out how to break up with Ben to run for City Council. Ron tries to hide from his first ex-wife. Ann diagnoses mumps in a nude pic from a sewage department member and then starts getting many nude pictures.

Season four's excellent main story of Leslie running for City Council kicks off here with a nice tone-setting episode though it's not as strong as some of the late entries. There are a couple really sweet moments with the two most important people to Leslie: Ron and Ben. There's also one of the funniest Chris Traeger lines in the whole series when he comments on the pictures coming into Ann's phone. And we also learn something about Jerry in the first sign that he may have a better life than the show initially portrayed, something that gets developed much more in episodes to come.
RATING: 6.5/10

48. Ron and Tammys (9/29/11)
Ron is getting audited by his first ex-wife, also named Tammy. Ben tries to help Tom and Jean-Ralphio with their new entertainment venture. Ann asks Chris to do a PSA for the health department.

I'm very mixed on the whole ex-wives stories with Ron. I like it because it provides a ton of comedy. Ron being a complete square who says things like "cool beans" is a funny play on the character. However, it's always rubbed me a little bit wrong because it's just so far out of bounds of the character that it stretches believeability. I do think I find this version of Ron funnier than the version he becomes with Tammy II. The Entertainment 720 story is pretty hilarious with some great moments as usual from Jean-Ralphio. Putting Ben in contrast to the ridiculous theatrics of Tom and Jean-Ralphio is a pretty funny dynamic. The Ann and Chris story doesn't really work.
RATING: 8/10

ONE SEASON WONDERS: A Year in the Life

On Wednesdays, I look at shows that lasted one season or less. Today I am looking at 1980s flop A Year in the Life!

A YEAR IN THE LIFE

Programming Details:

September 16, 1987 - April 13, 1988

22 episodes

NBC

Starring: Richard Kiley, Trey Ames, Adam Arkin, Jayne Atkinson, David Oliver, Sarah Jessica Parker, Amanda Peterson, Wendy Phillips, Morgan Stevens

Created by: Joshua Brand & John Falsey

Plot: Joe Gardner (Kiley) is a recent widower with four adult children: twice divorced Annie (Phillips), new mom Lindley (Atkinson), black sheep Jack (Stevens) and conservative Sam (Oliver). The rest of the main cast includes other family members like Sam's wife, Kay (Parker) and Lindley's husband, Jim (Arkin) and Anne's children, David and Sunny (Ames and Peterson). 

TOP 10 TUESDAY: Top 10 TV Trips

Tuesdays are Top 10 Tuesdays where I count down a topic in the TV realm. This week is Top 10 TV Trips!

Close Calls

The Bradys go to the Grand Canyon - The Brady Bunch

Jeannie & Tony go to Hawaii - I Dream of Jeannie

The Pritchett-Dunphys go to Hawaii - Modern Family

10. The Friends go to Las Vegas - Friends

The first of two Friends trips on this list, the trip to Vegas had a lot of funny moments and it very much had a Las Vegas feel with most of the action taking place inside Caesar's Palace. And of course it wouldn't be a Vegas episode without a quickie marriage though it came from a different couple than was expected.

9. The Ricardos and Mertzes go to Europe - I Love Lucy

The first of two I Love Lucy trips on this list, this is always considered the "lesser" trip but there are still many great moments as the Ricardos and Mertzes make their way through several different countries. I just wish they had actually gone on location for filming.

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1988-1989 Sundays

On Mondays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Sundays in the 1988-89 season!

ABC	7:00	8:00	9:00	10:00
Sep	Various Programs		Sunday Night Movie
Oct	Incredible Sunday	Mission: Impossible
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb		Studio 5-B
Mar	Great Circuses of the World	Various Programs
Apr		Moonlighting
May	Incredible Sunday

Despite the Writer's Strike, ABC was able to get its full Sunday lineup going quickly thanks to a unique reason. They started the night with the unscripted Incredible Sunday, a reboot of That's Incredible, which ran from 1980-1984 and centered on people performing stunts related to paranormal events. The unique show in the lineup was a reboot of Mission: Impossible once again starring Peter Graves. To get the reboot of the popular 1960s drama on the air sooner in the midst of the strike, ABC used scripts from the original series and remade them with slight updates. While the show did get on the air quicker, it may have not been the best creative decision though the show did eventually make new episodes. It was moved to Saturdays at midseason where it narrowly did get renewed for a second season. It was replaced on Sundays by Studio 5-B, a drama about a Canadian TV station starring Jeffrey Tambor and Wendy Crewson among others. It lasted just three episodes and only two in its Sunday slot and was the lowest rated show on the big three networks. In the spring, the 7pm slot went to another unscripted show, Great Circuses of the World, before Incredible Sunday returned to the night. At 8pm, specials took over after the cancellation of Studio 5-B until Moonlighting came to the night. After airing on Tuesdays for its entire run, the show had dropped quickly in ratings the Fall/Winter of 1988. ABC made a last ditch effort on Sundays but the ratings dropped more and stars Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd were ready to move on. It was cancelled after five seasons and 66 episodes. That's less than a normal five season show would have because they could never get all the episodes in on time during the season. Throughout the whole season, a movie aired from 9-11pm but ABC was third out of three in the Sunday movie competition.

THE FRIDAY FIVE: Top 5 TV News Stories of the Week Ending 4/16/21

Here's a look at my Top 5 TV news stories of the week!

#1 - "BRIDGERTON" RENEWED FOR SEASONS 3 & 4

Netflix has renewed its smash hit Bridgerton for two more seasons. After its buzzy premiere on Christmas Day, it was renewed for a second season back in January. Now that production is underway on the second season, it has gotten two additional seasons which is impressive coming from Netflix, a streamer that keeps many shows to three seasons or less. There are eight books in the book series the show is based on so we'll see if the series can make it that far. This was more positive news for the show after the bombshell that Season 1 star Rege-Jean Page won't return for Season 2. Though he was never supposed to be a major part of the second series (his character is not a major player in the second book), it became an issue after Page was the breakout star of the first season. Even without Page, expect the second season to draw a ton of attention when it rolls around.

EPISODE GUIDES: Parks and Recreation Season Three

On Thursdays, I go through classic series with a critical look at each season. Today I am looking at Season Three of Parks and Recreation!

PARKS AND RECREATION: SEASON THREE

2011

16 episodes

Season Three of Parks and Recreation did not premiere until midseason due in part to star Amy Poehler's pregnancy and in part due to NBC's programming decisions. Some of the season was filmed immediately after season two to accommodate hiding the pregnancy. This season finally has the cast in place with the permanent additions of Adam Scott and Rob Lowe and the departure of Paul Schneider. This is the first season where the show is consistently firing on all cylinders pretty much week after week. It never goes back to the problems of the first season or the occasional unevenness of the second season. The third season is when Parks and Recreation became a classic.

Starring

Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope (16 episodes)
Rashida Jones as Ann Perkins (16 episodes)
Aziz Ansari as Tom Haverford (16 episodes)
Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson (16 episodes)
Aubrey Plaza as April Ludgate (16 episodes)
Chris Pratt as Andy Dwyer (16 episodes)

Rob Lowe as Chris Traeger (15 episodes)

Adam Scott as Ben Wyatt (16 episodes)

Jim O'Heir as Jerry Gergich (16 episodes)

Retta as Donna Meagle (16 episodes)

Andy Forrest as Kyle (4 episodes)

Jay Jackson as Perd Hapley (4 episodes)

Andrew Burlinson as Burly (3 episodes)

Ben Schwartz as Jean-Ralphio Saperstein (3 episodes)
Jaima Williamson as Wendy Haverford (3 episodes)

Alan Yang as Chang (3 episodes)

Alison Becker as Shauna Malwae-Tweep (2 episodes)
Mo Collins as Joan Callamezzo (2 episodes)

Kirk Fox as Joe (2 episodes)

Darlene Hunt as Marcia Langman (2 episodes)
Eric Isenhower as Orin (2 episodes)

Yvans Jourdain as Councilman Howser (2 episodes)

Natalie Morales as Lucy (2 episodes)
Megan Mullally as Tammy Swanson (2 episodes)

Mark Rivers as Rivers (2 episodes)

Colton Dunn as Brett (1 episode)

Josh Duvendeck as Ben (1 episode)
Blake Lee as Derek (1 episode)

Mara Marini as Brandi Maxxxx (1 episode)

Will McLaughlin as Officer Killnose (1 episode)

Mike Mitchell as Bjorn Lerpiss (1 episode)

Antonia Raftu as Elizabeth (1 episode)

Pamela Reed as Marlene Griges-Knope (1 episode)
Phil Reeves as Paul Iaresco (1 episode)
Helen Slayton-Hughes as Ethel Beavers (1 episode)
Johnny Sneed as William Barnes (1 episode)

Cooper Thornton as Dr. Harris (1 episode)

Harris Wittels as Harris (1 episode)

31. Go Big or Go Home (1/20/11)
The Parks department reopens but only for maintenance so Leslie convinces Ann to go on a date with Chris to get more money for the department. Ron and Andy each coach a youth basketball team.

Season three kicks off with Adam Scott and Rob Lowe officially joining as series regulars (though Lowe was not originally intended to be a regular). This is a good episode to bring together the department again and I'm glad they didn't spend any real time on the shutdown because I don't think they would have mined a lot of comedy there. I think the show is still trying to figure out how to fully incorporate Chris and Ben because of the way they were brought in. It's a good episode that ushers in a great era but not indicative of the brilliance still to come.
RATING: 5.5/10

32. Flu Season (1/27/11)
Leslie gets the flu that's going around when she needs to plan for the Harvest Festival. Ron has Andy fill in for April while she is out with the flu. Ann torments April at the hospital and Chris also gets the flu.

This episode has some fantastic moments by Amy Poehler who just nails being sick and then drugged up. She has so many hilarious bits and the comedic timing is just perfect. Rob Lowe also plays sick quite well and it's a good episode to develop the Chris and Ann connection more. This episode puts together some different combinations as there isn't a ton of one-on-one scenes between Ron and Andy and also April and Ann but ultimately allows for some solid growth in the three romantic relationships that are the center of the rest of the series.
RATING: 8.5/10

ONE SEASON WONDERS: The Betty White Show

On Wednesdays, I look at shows that lasted one season or less. Today I am looking at 1970s flop The Betty White Show!

THE BETTY WHITE SHOW

Programming Details:

September 12, 1977 - January 9, 1978

14 episodes

CBS

Starring: Betty White, John Hillerman, Georgia Engel

Created by: Ed. Weinberger and Stan Daniels

Plot: Joyce Whitman (White) is an actress who lands a part on a cop show but finds out it's directed by her ex-husband, John Elliot (Hillerman). Joyce lives with her best friend and roommate, Mitzi (Engel).

TOP 10 TUESDAY: Top 10 TV Musical Performances

Tuesdays are Top 10 Tuesdays where I count down a topic in the TV realm. This week is Top 10 TV Musical Performances!

Close Calls

"I Am a Fine Musician" - The Dick Van Dyke Show

"Steam Heat" - The Mary Tyler Moore Show

"Time to Change" - The Brady Bunch

10. "Night After Night" - Laverne & Shirley

Lenny & Squiggy are not great performers (of course) but this is a pretty funny performance on Laverne & Shirley where David L. Lander and Michael McKean just go for it. I also enjoy Squiggy's introduction that the song is about "two nights in a row."

9. "Lazy Scranton" - The Office

The Office always did a great job with pop culture parodies and one of their most elaborate was the "Lazy Scranton" video that parodied Saturday Night Live's "Lazy Sunday." It was obvious the cast had a great time doing it and pretty fun to watch.

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1988-1989 Saturdays

On Mondays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Saturdays in the 1988-89 season!

ABC	8:00	9:00	10:00
Sep	Various Programs	Saturday Night Movie
Oct
Nov
Dec	Murphy’s Law
Jan	Saturday Night Movie		Murphy’s Law
Feb	Mission: Impossible	A Man Called Hawk
Mar
Apr			Men
May	A Man Called Hawk	Saturday Night Movie

ABC was starting from scratch on Saturday nights in 1988-89 as none of their shows that aired on the night in 1987-88 returned. It was a slow rollout thanks to, you guessed it, the Writer's Strike. Specials and movies occupied the night until December when Murphy's Law premiered. Starring George Segal as a former alcoholic turned insurance fraud investigator, it aired at 8pm for a short time and then 10pm before being cancelled after 12 episodes. The night didn't get another original series until February when Murphy's moved to 10pm. The new 8pm entry was the reboot of Mission: Impossible which had moved over from Sunday. It was followed by A Man Called Hawk, which was a spinoff of recently cancelled Saturday show Spenser: For Hire. Even though Spenser had only aired for three years and never found a mass audience, co-star Avery Brooks was well liked so he got his own show where his character moved to Washington DC but continued to fight crime. Mission: Impossible was renewed for a second season. A Man Called Hawk briefly moved to 8pm but was cancelled at the end of the season. Meanwhile at 10pm, Murphy's Law was replaced by Men, a drama about four men and their weekly poker game. The premise sounds a little soapy and a little bit like A Million Little Things. It lasted just five episodes and ABC closed out the season by bringing a movie back to the night.