EMMY PREVIEW: Lead Actor Races

As I continue my Emmys Preview on Tuesdays, I will be taking a look at the Lead Actor categories today!

COMEDY

This is a category where it feels like there are co-frontrunners as the 2021 winner - Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso) faces off against the 2018 & 2019 winner - Bill Hader (Barry), who is eligible for the first time since his 2019 win. Both will obviously get nominated. As far as the win goes, I would currently lean a little bit towards Hader with his show being more recent and Barry's third season being a little more acclaimed than Ted Lasso's second season. Beyond those two frontrunners, there are lots of others vying for a nomination. Anthony Anderson has been nominated seven times for Black-ish so it seems likely he'll get one final nomination for the farewell season. The chances seem a little more murky for the rest of the potential returning nominees. Larry David has been nominated six times for Curb Your Enthusiasm but the most recent season sort of came and went without much attention. Donald Glover has taken a backseat in terms of a leading role on the current season of Atlanta but he's still well-liked by the Academy. Don Cheadle has snuck in a couple times but Black Monday is now cancelled. Same goes for Kenan Thompson of Kenan. Among potential first time nominees, there seem to be two slam dunk nominees from the same show: Steve Martin and Martin Short for Only Murders in the Building. I think both will make it in but if only one does, my money is on Steve. Nicholas Hoult has earned a ton of praise for The Great and could get in for the second season. William Zabka and Ralph Macchio were predicted by some to get in last year for Cobra Kai and it didn't happen so this year seems less likely with more competition. Considering we're likely to get six nominees at most, the rest of the names are pretty far longshots. That includes Jake Johnson for Minx, John Cena for Peacemaker (which I have a really hard time seeing actually happen) and Rhys Darby for Our Flag Means Death.

PREDICTED NOMINEES

These are listed in order of likelihood to get nominated, not necessarily to win. I'm listing eight for each category even though several categories may end up with less than eight.

1. Bill Hader - Barry

2. Jason Sudeikis - Ted Lasso

3. Steve Martin - Only Murders in the Building

4. Martin Short - Only Murders in the Building

5. Anthony Anderson - Black-ish

6. Nicholas Hoult - The Great

7. Donald Glover - Atlanta

8. Larry David - Curb Your Enthusiasm

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1994-1995 Saturdays

On Mondays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Saturdays in the 1994-95 season!

ABC	8:00	9:00	10:00
Sep	Saturday Night Movie		The Commish
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb			The Marshal
Mar
Apr
May			The Commish

For several years, ABC tried to do something with Saturday nights and they only found success with The Commish at 10pm. In the 1994-95 season, they didn't even attempt anything earlier in the night and just went with a family-themed movie from 8-10pm. The Commish continued at 10pm to start the season. It had been quietly just plugging along with modest ratings that were acceptable for a difficult timeslot but it was losing badly to Walker, Texas Ranger by this point and ABC made a move with the launch of The Marshal at midseason. The Marshal was definitely more direct competition to Walker as the action drama starred Jeff Fahey as a US Marshal. The series did not do very well in the ratings, it was lower rated than The Commish, but ABC had a disastrous year for new shows and it ended up being the only freshman series that was renewed for a second season. That seemed to be more about saving face than actually earning the renewal. The Commish returned briefly at the end of the season and was renewed for a fifth season that only ended up being six episodes.

EPISODE GUIDES: Happy Days Season Four (Part 2)

On Thursdays, I take a detailed and critical look at a TV show by season. Today I am looking at Season 4 (Part 2) of Happy Days! For Part 1, click here!

I will not have a Friday Five post tomorrow as I am away and not able to update the TV news from the week so see you Monday for a new week of blog posts!

77. The Book of Records (1/18/77)

Al tries to get Arnold's restaurant into the Magilla Book of Records at the same time Fonzie's shy and clumsy cousin Angie is visiting.

There's a lot happening in this episode as the story is simultaneously about Fonzie's cousin and the wild attempts to get into the Book of Records. I think in general that's a good idea to keep the show moving. As I mentioned before, shows back in the 70s rarely had A, B and C stories. They primarily had one story with some side things. The plus side is more in depth stories. The downside is long episodes when the plot isn't strong enough to sustain a full episode. So episodes like this work because we have the story with Fonzie's cousin but it's peppered with some great scenes of characters trying to break records. A story just about one or the other probably wouldn't have worked as well.

RATING: 8/10

78. A Shot in the Dark (1/25/77)

Richie becomes the most popular kid in school after a last second shot in a basketball game wins the game for the team.

This is a good Richie-centric episode that allows the tables to be turned and Richie being the most popular guy around. I think the basketball scenes work the best in this episode including a very funny moment with Marion in the stands. I think the in-between scenes at Arnold's only work decently but it seems to veer into a different story whereas I think the episode could have been more focused on Richie's rise and fall as a basketball star. It was still a good episode with a nice scene between Howard and Richie to end it.

RATING: 7.5/10

ONE SEASON WONDERS: Extreme

On Wednesdays, I take a look at a series that lasted one season or less. This week, I am looking at Extreme!

EXTREME

January 29, 1995 - April 6, 1995
7 episodes
ABC

Starring: James Brolin, Cameron Bancroft, Brooke Langton, Justin Lazard, Julie Bowen, Tom Wright, Micah Dyer, Danny Masterson

Created by: Didier LaFond & Ron Booth and Robert Wolterstorff & Mike Scott

Plot: Extreme is centered on a search and rescue team in the Rocky Mountains of Utah. The leader is Reese Wheeler (Brolin), a former downhill racer. The rest of the team is mostly younger including Kyle (Bancroft) who is mourning the death of his fiancée. Andie (Bowen) is interested in Kyle and Farley (Wright) is the helicopter pilot. 

Brief Pilot Review:

Extreme looked to have a pretty big budget for a 1990s era network drama. It benefited a lot from being filmed on location in Park City, Utah because I definitely felt immersed in the area and the world of extreme winter sports. The rescue mission scenes were pretty impressive for the era with a lot of gorgeous scenery being shown and nothing looking like it was done on the cheap. Considering how drab so many 1990s era dramas look especially now, this looked bright and impressive - maybe the snow helped things not look so drab because some of the interior scenes looked much more like a standard network drama from that time.

EMMY PREVIEW: Lead Actress Races

As I continue my Emmys Preview on Tuesdays, I will be taking a look at the Lead Actress categories today!

COMEDY

Another comedy category, another tough fight. This one is interesting because there's likely to only be six nominees that I could see shaking out a lot of different ways. In fact, I only see one person as a slam dunk for a nomination and that is last year's winner, Jean Smart for Hacks. She has continued to win awards through the winter season and the just released second season of Hacks has good reviews as well so she's the one to beat. There's another former winner in the mix too with Rachel Brosnahan returning to contention. She seems unlikely to win as momentum on Maisel seems to be on the downward trajectory. I don't think a nomination is a guarantee for her or any of the rest on this list but I still think it's likely for Brosnahan. Kaley Cuoco was the frontrunner last year until Smart's late season entry and while buzz seems to be down on The Flight Attendant overall, Cuoco has continued to be praised. And there's also Tracee Ellis Ross for the final season of Black-ish. She has been nominated for five of the past six seasons so you can't count her out even though many seem to think she might get squeezed out. Another final season performer is Issa Rae for Insecure. I don't feel like there's a ton of heat behind her but she might still be able to get in. Then there's Natasha Lyonne, returning for Russian Doll after being nominated for the first season back in 2019. The second season of Doll sort of came and went though and in a tough category, I think Lyonne is a longshot. Ditto for Pamela Adlon, who hasn't been nominated since 2018 for Better Things despite being eligible since then. She could get a farewell nomination but I doubt it. I don't think anyone really thinks Lily Tomlin or Jane Fonda will get in for the final season of Grace and Frankie, but they are also both former nominees. There will probably only be six nominees and I've already named more than six actresses but there's a couple strong potential first time nominees who could crash the party. Leading that list is Quinta Brunson for Abbott Elementary after her show has been somewhat of a breakout and she's also the creator. Sarah Lancashire has won some praise for Julia and could sneak in but I'd feel better about her chances in a less competitive category. Only Murders in the Building seems likely to get some Emmy love but it's a tough road for Selena Gomez compared to her male co-stars. And Elle Fanning had a lot of heat for The Great at one point but she couldn't sneak in last time she was eligible in 2020 and the buzz seems to be fading a bit for her. Some longer, but not impossible, shots are Sandra Oh for The Chair, Rose Byrne for Physical and Sarah Jessica Parker for a role in And Just Like That that got her two Emmys back in the day for Sex and the City. Aidy Bryant was a huge surprise in this category last year for Shrill and while she is no longer eligible, perhaps there's someone I haven't even mentioned here who will sneak in?

PREDICTED NOMINEES

These are listed in order of likelihood to get nominated, not necessarily to win. I'm listing eight for each category even though several categories may end up with less than eight.

1. Jean Smart - Hacks

2. Kaley Cuoco - The Flight Attendant

3. Rachel Brosnahan - The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

4. Quinta Brunson - Abbott Elementary

5. Tracee Ellis Ross - Black-ish

6. Issa Rae - Insecure

7. Sarah Lancashire - Julia

8. Selena Gomez - Only Murders in the Building

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1994-1995 Fridays

On Mondays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Fridays in the 1994-95 season!

ABC	8:00	8:30	9:00	9:30	10:00
Sep	Family Matters	Boy Meets World	Step by Step	Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper	20/20
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar		Sister, Sister		On Our Own
Apr
May		Boy Meets World		Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper

ABC found a winning formula for its TGIF lineup in the 1993-94 season and kept rolling with that lineup into the 1994-95 season. The kid friendly lineup of Family Matters, Boy Meets World, Step by Step and Hangin' with Mr. Cooper were not ratings monsters but they hit the sweet spot in the demographic they were going for. ABC kept that lineup in tact for much of the year but they did give Boy and Mr. Cooper a short break in the spring. This was a common practice back in those days to give a chance to new midseason shows but in this case, it was to give a chance to two shows that had struggled in the fall. Sister, Sister had aired on Fridays briefly in Spring 1994 but then didn't do well on Wednesdays earlier in the season. It was cancelled by ABC at the end of the season but was then picked up by the young WB network to go with its stable of black-led, youth-oriented sitcoms. It ended up running for four more years after its ABC cancellation. On Our Own aired for a short time at 9:30pm after failing on Sunday nights before being cancelled for good. By the end of the season, the tried and true lineup was back in tact. Throughout the season, the reliable 20/20 continued at 10pm.

THE FRIDAY FIVE: Top 5 TV News Stories of the Week Ending 5/20/22

Here's a look at the Top 5 TV news stories of the week. This week was Upfronts. Here's my analysis on the schedules for NBC, ABC, CBS and CW (FOX did an Upfront but has not released a schedule yet). This week, my Friday Five will mostly focus on takeaways from the Upfronts.

#1 - UPFRONTS TAKEAWAY: Networks Play It Super Safe

It wasn't long ago that we had well over 20 new scripted shows premiering in the fall. Even in the last normal, pre-COVID fall of 2019, there were 16 new scripted shows on the fall schedule and that felt super low at the time. Well, now we are down to nine (plus perhaps 1-2 more from FOX depending on what they put on in the fall). The combination of COVID shifting things to a year-round development cycle and the general trend of broadcast networks means there's not going to be much to talk about in terms of a netowrk Fall Preview. Another hallmark used to be timeslot changes. Big changes were always the talk of the fall - how would Survivor do when it moved to Wednesday? How would The Big Bang Theory hold up in its Thursday move? What a bold move to put Revenge on Sunday nights after its breakout season. Considering timeslots don't matter much anymore, there is very little that is changing with a few new shows taking the place of a few departing shows and that's it. And not just is the scheduling that is safe, so are the shows, but I'll have more on that below in #3. The colonization of the nights is a huge thing because the networks know what works for them or at least what they think does: broad, safe dramas that appeal to older audiences. That's why we have two NCIS shows on Monday, three FBI shows on Tuesday, three Chicago shows on Wednesday and three Law & Order shows on Thursday. We'll probably get two 9-1-1 shows on Monday at some point too. ABC is not airing The Rookie shows together but the CW is even getting in the action with their Walker night on Thursday. The networks may be right that this is their best way to get viewers but it feels very, very uninspired.

UPFRONTS: CW 2022-23 Schedule

Here's a look at The CW's plans for 2022-23!

MONDAYS

8:00 All American (5th season)

9:00 All American: Homecoming (2nd season)

The CW is colonized on Monday with one of their more successful shows - All American, paired with its recent spinoff All American: Homecoming. For two shows that would seem to have the same appeal, Homecoming did lose a decent portion of the All American audience on Mondays this spring.

TUESDAYS

8:00 THE WINCHESTERS
9:00 PROFESSIONALS (acquired series)

Tuesdays are an odd night. The CW gets back into the Supernatural business with prequel The Winchesters. Of course Supernatural was the tentpole CW show, ending in November 2020 after 15 seasons. The CW has struggled to find spinoffs of the show as some high profile ones never went to series. We'll see if this show can recapture that Supernatural magic for them. It is paired with Professionals, one of the several acquired international shows replacing CW originals on the schedule. This one stars Tom Welling and Brendan Fraser. and is an Irish/South African co-production that originally aired in 2020.

WEDNESDAYS

8:00 DC's Stargirl (3rd season)

9:00 Kung Fu (3rd season)

After two seasons airing in the summer (and originally being from DC Universe), DC's Stargirl will take its place as a fall show and lead off Wednesday night. With so many DC cancellations, this keeps more superhero shows on the regular season schedule. It is follow by another third year drama, Kung Fu, which has been a modest performer. It's sort of surprising it wasn't in the cancellation wave.

THURSDAYS
8:00 Walker (3rd season)

9:00 WALKER INDEPENDENCE

Thursday night is Walker night for The CW. In the spirit of Yellowstone, they are expanding the universe to include a prequel series set in the Old West. Walker Independence is an origin story for the Walker family and set in the late 1800s. If that sounds like 1883, I'm sure that's the point. Walker has been a decent performer for the network and these kind of shows seem to be all the rage now so this makes sense.

FRIDAYS

8:00 Penn & Teller: Fool Us (9th season)

9:00 Whose Line is it Anyway? (11th season)

9:30 Whose Line is it Anyway? (11th season)

Friday nights are unscripted for The CW with their two long running unscripted shows - Penn & Teller: Fool Us and Whose Line is it Anyway. The rebooted Whose Line on The CW will now have run at least three seasons longer than the original on ABC.

SATURDAYS

8:00 MAGIC WITH THE STARS

9:00 World's Funniest Animals (3rd season)

9:30 World's Funniest Animals (3rd season)

Saturdays is also an unscripted night for The CW with the new Magic with the Stars paired with cheap option World's Funniest Animals. Magic with the Stars features magician Criss Angel and two celebrities, or should I say "celebrities," each episode.

SUNDAYS

8:00 FAMILY LAW (acquired series)

9:00 Coroner (4th season - acquired series)

The CW has been trying hard on Sundays since expanding to the night a few years ago but they are basically giving up this coming fall with acquired Canadian shows Family Law and the fourth season of Coroner.

MIDSEASON: GOTHAM KNIGHTS, RECIPE FOR DISASTER, The Flash, Nancy Drew, Riverdale, Superman & Lois

The CW has some shows on deck for midseason but not as many as usual. The newest show in the DC Universe is Gotham Knights and that could be paired with Superman & Lois. Also returning at midseason is the final season of Riverdale, the potentially final season of The Flash, Nancy Drew and the unscripted Recipe for Disaster.

CANCELLED/ENDED: 4400, Batwoman, Charmed, DC's Legends of Tomorrow, Dynasty, In the Dark, Legacies, Naomi, Roswell New Mexico

This is a much longer list than usual for The CW but things are changing at the network.

EPISODE GUIDES: Happy Days Season Four (Part 1)

On Thursdays, I take a detailed and critical look at a TV show by season. Today I am looking at Season 4 (Part 1) of Happy Days!

HAPPY DAYS: SEASON FOUR
1976-1977

25 episodes

Season Four is the season that Happy Days shot to #1 in the ratings and with good reason. It's certainly the show at its best in its multi-cam era. Everything is clicking for the show at this point with a particularly good stretch of episodes starting with "Fonzie's Hero." You can tell that this is a show that is confident with what it was doing and it is not tired yet. Everyone seems enthused by the studio audience and the performances are strong and funny. Sure, a jump over the shark was looming but it didn't happen in the fourth season.

Starring

Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham (25 episodes)

Henry Winkler as Arthur Fonzarelli (25 episodes)

Tom Bosley as Howard Cunningham (25 episodes)

Marion Ross as Marion Cunningham (25 episodes)

Anson Williams as Potsie Webber (25 episodes)

Don Most as Ralph Malph (25 episodes)

Erin Moran as Joanie Cunningham (25 episodes)

Al Molinaro as Al Delvecchio (23 episodes)

Pat Morita as Arnold Takahashi (1 episode)

Ed Peck as Officer Kirk (1 episode)

Neil J. Schwartz as Bag Zombrowski (1 episode)

64/65. Fonzie Loves Pinky Part 1/2 (9/21/76)

Fonzie begins a relationship with old flame Pinky Tuscadero and the two of them decide to compete in a Demolition Derby. Richie gets a new job as a news reporter.

Season Four kicks off with a three part "event" episode and the show would continue to kick off seasons with events for several more seasons. You can tell that the show is a hit by this point. The audience is loud and there's a lot of energy. This episode marks the debut of Al, the new manager of Arnold's. I liked Pat Morita but I prefer Al Molinaro's character. The show attempted to emphasize the relationship with Pinky is different for the Fonz but I'm not sure how earned it was. Not only was there very distracting moments due to the obvious California (and not Wisconsin) landscape, but a montage wasn't the best way for us to really understand why Pinky matters as a character. That being said, Roz Kelly and Henry Winkler do have some chemistry and they make a good team with each other. There's a lot of great moments in this episode which feels big and event-filled while still not jumping the shark... yet. It's also worth noting that this episode is when the show starts to launch in earnest the on-going arc of Richie becoming a journalist.

RATING: 7.5/10

66. Fonzie Loves Pinky Part 3 (9/28/76)

After Fonzie's victory at the Demolition Derby and Pinky's injury, Fonzie proposes to Pinky.

The cliffhanger from the one hour premiere gets resolved pretty quickly and the episode pivots to the next chapter in the Fonzie and Pinky love story. As I said in the recap for the first hour, there is decent chemistry between Fonzie and Pinky but the love story just doesn't feel earned. This was typical of series back in the 1970s. The show decided Fonzie would have an epic love story so what would now happen over the course of perhaps half a season gets crammed into a three part premiere. It's hard to feel too much for the Fonz about his relationship when we didn't really get to know them as a couple.

RATING: 4/10

UPFRONTS: CBS 2022-23 Schedule

Here's a look at the CBS schedule for 2022-23!

MONDAYS
8:00 The Neighborhood (5th season)

8:30 Bob Hearts Abishola (4th season)

9:00 NCIS (20th season)

10:00 NCIS: Hawaii (2nd season)

CBS is keeping this status quo on Monday nights with a comedy block leading into a pair of NCIS shows. The Neighborhood and Bob Hearts Abishola have turned into a solid comedy block and stay together for a fourth straight season. NCIS left its longtime home of Tuesdays at 8pm and lost star Mark Harmon but has held it together on Monday nights and will be back for a landmark 20th season. It will be followed by the newest NCIS spinoff, NCIS: Hawaii, which has only done ok this season. CBS is down to just one show filming in Hawaii this season with the cancellation of Magnum P.I.. 

TUESDAYS

8:00 FBI (5th season)

9:00 FBI: International (2nd season)

10:00 FBI: Most Wanted (4th season)

Dick Wolf has two nights fully devoted to his shows on NBC and one night on CBS. The FBI trio including the newest entry, FBI: International, have been stable performers for the network this season and they fit right into the safe broadcast mentality that is permeating all broadcast networks at this point. It's a night that CBS can just leave alone and not worry about like One Chicago Wednesday and Law & Order Thursday on NBC.

WEDNESDAYS

8:00 Survivor (43rd edition)

9:00 The Amazing Race (34th edition)

10:00 THE REAL LOVE BOAT

CBS is going full unscripted on Wednesday nights with the return of venerable tentpoles Survivor and The Amazing Race taking up the first two hours. A new unscripted show arrives at 10pm: The Real Love Boat, a series that seems to be a little bit of a mix of The Bachelor and The Amazing Race. 10pm is a tough time to launch an unscripted show but it is following two very reliable ones.

THURSDAYS

8:00 Young Sheldon (6th season)

8:30 Ghosts (2nd season)

9:00 SO HELP ME TODD
10:00 CSI: Vegas (2nd season)

CBS famously expanded to two hours of comedies on Thursday nights back in 2013 and now they are going back to one hour after the cancellations of B Positive, United States of Al and How We Roll. Young Sheldon continues at 8pm and it will be followed by Ghosts, which was a surprise breakout for the network airing at 9pm this season. CBS did not pick up any comedy pilots and seemed much more intent on keeping Ghosts strong. A new legal/crime drama follows at 9pm. So Help Me Todd stars Marcia Gay Harden and Skylar Astin and has some comedic overtones that might make it a good fit out of the comedy hour. It looks a little more interesting than their other two new dramas. CSI: Vegas moves from Wednesday to Thursday for its second season. It's a night where the original CSI dominated for years but there will not be domination this time around.

FRIDAYS

8:00 S.W.A.T. (6th season)

9:00 FIRE COUNTRY

10:00 Blue Bloods (13th season)

The biggest surprise cancellation this upfront season was Magnum P.I., which had been doing pretty well for itself on Fridays. It will be replaced by the new Fire Country, a show that will certainly draw comparisons to Chicago Fire. The drama, starring Max Thieriot, could be a good fit on the night for CBS but it's been awhile since they've launched a new drama on Friday. It used to be a challenge but the landscape has changed and Friday ratings are not that much worse than the rest of the week at this point. S.W.A.T. returns to the night at 8pm after airing for a short time (and doing well) in this slot last fall before moving to Sundays. And for a 13th straight season, Blue Bloods will hold down the fort at 10pm. I can't imagine Tom Selleck will want to do this show much longer but you never know.

SATURDAYS

8:00 Drama Encores

10:00 48 Hours (36th season)

SUNDAYS

7:00 60 Minutes (55th season)

8:00 The Equalizer (3rd season)

9:00 EAST NEW YORK
10:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (14th season)

CBS has a trio of dramas on Sunday night following the stalwart 60 Minutes. The Equalizer has proven to be a solid Sunday night performer and has been renewed for two additional season. It is followed by new cop drama East New York, starring Amanda Warren and Jimmy Smits. I want to give CBS credit for launching more new shows than NBC or ABC but all three of the new dramas definitely seem like they could have debuted on the network any time in the last fifteen years. They are as safe and generic as they come. NCIS: Los Angeles slides back an hour to 10pm in a slot that has often been the final resting place for veteran dramas ending their run.

MIDSEASON: LINGO, SUPERFAN, TRUE LIES, Secret Celebrity Renovation, Tough As Nails

CBS doesn't have much on the docket for midseason. They usually don't have a ton but they also could add to the list. The only scripted show on the bench is McG's long gestating True Lies drama. Other new shows include musical/game show Superfan and the RuPaul hosted Lingo along with other returning unscripted fare.

CANCELLED/ENDED: B Positive, Bull, Good Sam, How We Roll, Magnum P.I., United States of Al

ONE SEASON WONDERS: Double Rush

On Wednesdays, I take a look at a series that lasted one season or less. This week, I am looking at Double Rush!

DOUBLE RUSH

January 4, 1995 - April 12, 1995
12 episodes
CBS

Starring: Robert Pastorelli, David Arquette, Corinne Bohrer, Adam Goldberg, D.L. Hughley, Phil Leeds, Sam Lloyd

Created by: Stephen Nathan & Diane English

Plot: Double Rush is set in the busy world of a Manhattan bicycle delivery service. Johnny Verona (Pastorelli) is the gruff owner who once had dreams of being a rock star. He deals with a unique group of employees including quintessential Gen X-er, Leo (Goldberg), the overqualified Zoe (Bohrer), a spaced out disaptcher, Barkley (Lloyd), a daredevil named Hunter (Arquette) who loves to fly around the city, smooth talking Marlon (Hughley) and a 75 year old nicknamed "The Kid" (Leeds). 

Brief Pilot Review:

This has to be the first and only series ever set at a bicycle delivery service so I have to give it credit for originality in a setting. Pretty much any other workplace, even some odd ones, I can name a couple shows that dabbled there. But I can't think of any other show with this setting. The best thing about this pilot is that I felt like, had it been given time, it could have turned into a very solid workplace comedy. I definitely had vibes of Taxi and Cheers when watching the first episode even though this pilot was not as sure of itself as the pilots of those two classics. The quirky cast of characters set in a high energy location plus a character (Zoe) filling the Diane Chambers role made those comparisons pretty easy and, unlike some complete trash sitcoms, it wasn't completely an unfavorable comparison.

UPFRONTS: ABC 2022-23 Schedule

Here's a look at the ABC schedule for 2022-23!

MONDAYS
8:00 Bachelor in Paradise (8th edition)

10:00 The Good Doctor (6th season)

For the first time since 2006, Dancing with the Stars is not leading off the fall Monday lineup for ABC. That veteran series has moved to Disney+ but ABC is still leaning into the unscripted realm with Bachelor in Paradise. It is typically a summer series that occasionally bleeds into the very beginning of the season but now it will officially get a fall slot. It is followed by The Good Doctor which is already heading into its sixth season.

TUESDAYS

8:00 Bachelor in Paradise (8th edition)

10:00 THE ROOKIE: FEDS

ABC is leaning hard on its Bachelor franchise with a second night of Bachelor in Paradise taking the Tuesday slot that has been held by The Bachelorette the last two seasons. It is followed by a new drama in a slot that has killed many new dramas over the last decade plus including Queens last year. This one is The Rookie: Feds, a spinoff of their Sunday police drama. I don't quite understand ABC's thinking of not putting the two Rookie shows together. We've seen with 9-1-1, FBI, Chicago and Law & Order that works and Sunday is not already a colonized night for one of those franchises so why isn't ABC doing that? An odd choice for sure.

WEDNESDAYS

8:00 The Conners (5th season)

8:30 The Goldbergs (10th season)

9:00 Abbott Elementary (2nd season)

9:30 Home Economics (3rd season)

10:00 Big Sky (3rd season)

Despite ever diminishing results, ABC is sticking with its signature Wednesday night comedy lineup. They hope to give it a burst of energy with the arrival of freshman breakout Abbott Elementary at 9pm. ABC will be hoping the show gets some Emmy nominations and comes in strong for its second season in the old Modern Family timeslot. The most recent occupant, The Conners, moves to 8pm and will lead into the 10th (!) season of The Goldbergs, which is returning to its old slot from many years ago without star Jeff Garlin. Leading out of Abbott is Home Economics, which seems like one final effort to make Economics a thing after two years of very middling performances. Big Sky moves to its third different night in three years at 10pm and will be adding Reba McEntire to the cast.

THURSDAYS
8:00 Station 19 (6th season)

9:00 Grey's Anatomy (19th season)

10:00 ALASKA

Thursday night is getting just a small change as they try to improve the 10pm hour. Station 19 and Grey's Anatomy continue in the first two hours. This will be the 19th season for Grey's and it doesn't seem like star Ellen Pompeo will continue much longer but that's been the thought for years now. At 10pm is the new Alaska starring Hilary Swank. The show, which sounds a little like Northern Exposure to me, seems like it could be a nice fit with the other two dramas on the night but it's hard to launch a new show at 10pm.

FRIDAYS

8:00 Shark Tank (14th season)

9:00 20/20 (41st season)

The veteran pair of Shark Tank and 20/20 continue on Friday nights as it's been awhile since ABC has really tried anything on this night.

SATURDAYS

8:00 College Football

SUNDAYS

7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos (33rd season)

8:00 CELEBRITY JEOPARDY!
9:00 Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (3rd season)

10:00 The Rookie (5th season)

Sunday nights are a pretty safe night for an older audience as ABC tries to recreate the ritual of weeknights for millions by pairing Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. Both will be celebrity editions with Wheel returning for a third season and Jeopardy becoming a new regular series in primetime. There is no word on a host for Celebrity Jeopardy as they are currently bouncing between Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings for the syndicated version. Of course America's Funniest Home Videos continues at 7pm while The Rookie will continue at 10pm.

MIDSEASON: NOT DEAD YET, American Idol, The Bachelor, Judge Steve Harvey, A Million Little Things, The Wonder Years

ABC has several shows on tap for midseason including current Wednesday occupants A Million Little Things and The Wonder Years along with new comedy Not Dead Yet. American Idol and The Bachelor will likely return in the same capacity while ABC is also likely to add more scripted shows at some point. There was no mention of scripted drama Avalon today, which was picked up to series awhile ago.

CANCELLED/ENDED: Black-ish, Dancing with the Stars (moving to Disney+), Promised Land, Queens, Women of the Movement (limited series)

EMMY PREVIEW: Supporting Actor Races

As I continue my Emmys Preview on Tuesdays, I will be taking a look at the Supporting Actor categories today!

COMEDY

This is a category that seems like it could be a race between Ted Lasso and Barry supporting actors. Ted Lasso occupied four slots last year and the hit Apple TV+ show will surely be a player in this year's race. Last year's winner Brett Goldstein is back in the mix and should be considered the frontrunner. There's also Brendan Hunt, Nick Mohammad and Jeremy Swift all returning but I'd be surprised if Ted Lasso four-peats in the category again. That's especially true with former nominees and winners back in the mix. 2019 winner Tony Shalhoub for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and 2018 winner Henry Winkler for Barry are both eligible again and Barry could also see some attention for Anthony Carrigan and perhaps Stephen Root. Other potential returning nominees are Brian Tyree Henry for Atlanta and two longshots to return: Carl Clemons-Hopkins for Hacks and Andre Braugher for Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Then there's those SNL co-stars who are likely to be in the mix despite my constant annoyance that they are eligible in this category. Kenan Thompson and Bowen Yang both stand a good chance to repeat in the category even with stiffer competition and you probably can't count out breakout newbie James Austin Johnson. Among characters in new shows, multiple Emmy winner David Hyde Pierce stands a chance if Julia gets into the mix and the same goes for Tyler James Williams with Abbott Elementary. Going back to The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Luke Kirby has won in the guest category before but will be in the Supporting Actor category this year where things are a bit tougher even though he had an acclaimed arc on the show this year. Other longer shots include LaKeith Stanfield for Atlanta, Ben Schwartz for The Afterparty and Harvey Guillen for What We Do in the Shadows. With so many returning nominees though, it seems hard to believe longshots will break through.

PREDICTED NOMINEES

These are listed in order of likelihood to get nominated, not necessarily to win. I'm listing eight for each category even though some categories may end up with less than eight.

1. Brett Goldstein - Ted Lasso

2. Tony Shalhoub - The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

3. Henry Winkler - Barry

4. Anthony Carrigan - Barry

5. Kenan Thompson - Saturday Night Live

6. Nick Mohammed - Ted Lasso

7. Brian Tyree Henry - Atlanta

8. Bowen Yang - Saturday Night Live

UPFRONTS: NBC 2022-23 Schedule

While my blog focuses on different things now as the industry has evolved, I will still be doing an Upfronts post for each of the five broadcast networks when they release their schedules. Both NBC and FOX had Upfronts today but only NBC released a schedule so here it is!

MONDAYS

8:00 The Voice (22nd edition)

10:00 QUANTUM LEAP

Since The Voice premiered in 2011, most falls (and sometimes springs) have had NBC's highest profile new show premiering after their tentpole competition series. Often times it would be one of many premieres but in a clear sign of the changing landscape, NBC will premiere just one new show at the start of the traditional broadcast season. That show is the high profile reboot of Quantum Leap, a cult hit for the network from 1989-1993. This version stars Raymond Lee and will get the bulk of NBC's promotional push. The Voice isn't the lead-in it once was but shows in the Quantum Leap vein like The Blacklist and Blindspot were always better performers after it than a show like last year's Ordinary Joe. However, there was another time travel show - Timeless - that followed The Voice in 2016 and didn't pan out.

TUESDAYS

8:00 The Voice (22nd edition)

9:00 La Brea (2nd season)

10:00 New Amsterdam (5th season)

This is Us has come to an end after six seasons including its final midseason run this year. NBC is returning in the fall with the same lineup it had in Fall 2021. The Voice will kick things off and the final season of New Amsterdam will end the night. In between is La Brea, which was a surprise success in this slot last fall. It only had a ten episode order so it's been awhile since we've seen the show. I'm not convinced lightning will strike twice for a show like this but we'll see.

WEDNESDAYS
8:00 Chicago Med (8th season)

9:00 Chicago Fire (11th season)

10:00 Chicago PD (10th season)

For a fifth straight year, NBC is keeping the Chicago trio together. They are three of the highest rated shows on TV still so it makes complete sense.

THURSDAYS

8:00 Law & Order (2nd/22nd season)

9:00 Law & Order: SVU (24th season)

10:00 Law & Order: Organized Crime (3rd season)

The Dick Wolf colonization continues on Thursday with the trio of Law & Order shows. Although it's super boring to analyze, this is the way to go with broadcast TV schedules. Adventurous viewers are watching streaming shows. The more traditional broadcast audience goes nuts for shows like these at the times they expect them to be on.

FRIDAYS

(September)

8:00 Capital One College Bowl (2nd season)

9:00 Dateline NBC (32nd season)

(November)

8:00 Young Rock (3rd season)

8:30 LOPEZ VS. LOPEZ

9:00 Dateline NBC

NBC is starting the season with a pretty boring lineup as College Bowl returns for a second season and is paired with Dateline NBC. Things get a little more interesting in November when they try a comedy block with Young Rock leading into the new multi-camera George Lopez sitcom Lopez vs. Lopez. NBC is rationalizing it as a throwback to the TGIF mentality with these family sitcoms but it's been a long time since sitcoms worked on Fridays. NBC last tried a comedy block on this night in 2015 with the live episodes of Undateable and the dud Truth Be Told. We'll see, but I'm skeptical. At least they have comedies somewhere on the fall schedule unlike last year.

SATURDAYS
8:00 Encores

9:00 Dateline Mystery

10:00 SNL Encores

SUNDAYS

7:00 Football Night in America (17th season)

8:30 Sunday Night Football

MIDSEASON: LA FIRE AND RESCUE, MILLION DOLLAR ISLAND, NIGHT COURT, THE WHEEL, American Auto, The Blacklist, Grand Crew, That's My Jam, The Wall

NBC had a lot on its list for midseason last year and there's less this year but NBC may add to this list as it continues its march towards year-round development. LA Fire and Rescue, Million Dollar Island and The Wheel were all on this list last year and haven't made it to air. The reboot of Night Court was ordered quite awhile ago but will also be held for midseason along with returning comedies American Auto and Grand Crew, the 10th (!) season of The Blacklist and the unscripted That's My Jam along with NBC's favorite filler The Wall.

CANCELLED/ENDED: The Courtship, The Endgame, Home Sweet Home, Kenan, Mr. Mayor, Ordinary Joe, The Thing About Pam (limited series), This is Us

TBD: American Song Contest, AGT: Extreme, Family Game Fight!, Making It, Home Sweet Home, Weakest Link

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1994-1995 Thursdays

On Mondays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Thursdays in the 1994-95 season!

ABC	8:00	9:00	10:00
Sep	My So-Called Life	McKenna	Primetime Live
Oct		Matlock
Nov
Dec
Jan			Day One
Feb	Matlock	The Commish
Mar	Extreme
Apr	Matlock
May		Various Programs

ABC made an attempt with scripted dramas on Thursday nights throughout the 1994-95 season but it did not work out well for them at any point. They made a bold attempt at 8pm with teen drama My So-Called Life. Now considered one of the greatest one and done shows in TV history, the critics embraced the show at the time as well with breakout teen star Claire Danes winning a Golden Globe for Lead Actress in a Drama. The series debuted early, in late August, to get a jump on the fall season but the ratings were very poor. Despite that, ABC continued to give it a chance and it lasted all the way until the end of January. There were lots of conversations about bringing the show back but it ultimately didn't happen mostly due to the ratings but there was also the revelation later than Danes didn't want to continue with the show. Still, if the ratings had been a little better, I'm sure it would have come back. It aired on MTV for a time and was one of the first shows to have a passionate online following and it remains beloved to this day. There was not as much love for the 9pm entry. McKenna was an Oregon-set family drama starring Chad Everett, Eric Close and Jennifer Love Hewitt. It lasted just three weeks before being pulled from the lineup. After the quick hook for McKenna, Matlock returned to the night and the very old skewing drama was an odd pair with the youthful So-Called Life. Still, it was a stabilizing force on the night even though ABC wanted to go younger. That led to it ending at the end of the season after nine seasons (three on ABC) and 193 episodes. When So-Called ending its season early in January, Matlock moved to 8pm and The Commish came over from Saturdays. The series had always been a steady Saturday performer but it was losing steam. It managed to get renewed but ended up airing a very short final season. Matlock was replaced briefly in March by Extreme, a Rocky Mountains-set adventure drama that had aired its first episode out of the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl episode delivered high ratings, of course, but the audience did not check back in when it appeared on Thursdays at 8pm a month later. It was cancelled after airing on the night for just over a month and Matlock returned to the slot. Throughout the season, newsmagazines shared the 10pm hour with Primetime Live airing through December before moving to Wednesdays and then Day One taking over.

THE FRIDAY FIVE: Top 5 TV News Stories of the Week Ending 5/13/22

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

#1 - BLOODY THURSDAY

For years, this week was known as "Hell Week" with tons of cancellations, renewals and series pickups ahead of Upfronts week. It's not as crazy as it once was but there was still quite a bloodbath on Thursday led by a network not used to participating in Bloody Thursday rituals: The CW. The network, which is in transition as it heads towards being sold, cancelled 4400, Charmed, Dynasty, In the Dark, Legacies, Naomi and Roswell, New Mexico after already cancelling Legends of Tomorrow and Batwoman. The CW used to almost always let shows end gracefully but this is a new era and the network is definitely slimming down its library. The CW wasn't the only network on a cancellation spree though. CBS cancelled United States of Al, B Positive, Good Sam, How We Roll and Magnum P.I. Most surprising from that list is Magnum, which has found a nice little audience for itself on Friday nights after originally being a Monday disappointment. It also just finished its fourth season and seemed headed to a long run for the syndication factory (which is admittedly much less of a thing than it used to be). NBC also had cancellations of their own, axing The Endgame, Kenan and Mr. Mayor. None of them were super surprising aside from the auspices of Kenan Thompson on Kenan and Ted Danson on Mr. Mayor. Earlier in the week, ABC cancelled freshmen dramas Queens and Promised Land. There may be some more cancellations coming over the weekend and into next week but we're not likely to get another day as brutal as Thursday.