Cancellation Anxiety + What's coming on 'Justified'

Particularly good Ask Matt this week over at TV Guide. Some items of interest, including a couple of questions from yours truly:

Regarding the possible cancellation of Nashville: These days, the networks would almost kill for "lackluster," so while Nashville isn't what you'd call a runaway hit, it's doing OK, and because it's going the right way creatively (pulling out of its first-half slump), and like Glee and Smash it has a separate revenue stream with its music downloads and CD releases (which seem to get good reviews, though I'm not a music critic), I'm cautiously optimistic that ABC will renew it. As our in-house ratings guru puts it when we gather to discuss such things, they can't cancel everything.

Regarding seeing Limehouse again on Justified, and this season's 'big mystery' instead of 'big bad': I've heard that Mykelti Williamson may reprise his role sometime this season, but can't say when or how. (I'd like it to be a surprise, should it occur.) Regardless, I'm loving this season, as I have the past three, in part because it's so different from what's come before. Still the same blend of action, intrigue and wry humor that we can't get enough of, but once again the show is taking us into new areas of Harlan mythology, from the brutality of the hill people to the murderous machinations of the Clover Hill power-brokers, with whom Boyd and Ava have memorable dealings this week. This Tuesday's episode gives Elmore Leonard a story credit, and it introduces one of my favorite characters from his recent novel Raylan. I'll let you discover her for yourself, but I'm curious what avenues she'll eventually lead our besotted marshal down.

Regarding my concerns about the fate of Up All Night: The situation with Up All Night brings to mind the metaphor about rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. What is the point? Nothing happening on the show is as fascinating or laughable as what's taking place behind the scenes. If we ever see it again in any shape or form, I'll be amazed. And outside of professional morbid curiosity, completely uninterested as a viewer. Let it go.

Regarding my concern that Happy Endings moving to Fridays is a very bad thing:  Regarding Happy Endings' current misadventures in ABC limbo, I knew it was the odd ensemble out in the current schedule (not unlike Cougar Town before it), but until the news that the remainder of episodes would be burned off on Friday, I didn't view it as necessarily endangered. Now it's hard to see it as anything but. (Which of course will prompt questions about whether someone will swoop in to rescue it, like TBS did with Cougar Town. I usually don't encourage such speculation, but while I'm not especially fond of Happy Endings, it generates enough buzz and media attention to make it a good candidate.)

[Side note: I'm worried Matt and I have nothing in common, as I discovered he likes Big Bang Theory, and as stated above, isn't a fan of Up All Night or Happy Endings. Wha?!]

'Happy Endings' moves to Fridays

UGH!

Last week, TV Guide named Happy Endings as one of the shows on the bubble and I think a BIG part of that has to do with it constantly changing nights (that and the fact that people in the age range that watch the show use DVR, downloads, etc, not live viewing). Wednesdays, Tuesdays, Sundays.... and now Fridays! Seriously?!

I fear the end is near for one of the funniest, smartest comedies around.

What's maybe more sad is that its time slot on Tuesdays is being filled with sub-par reality shows - Celebrity Wife Swap and The Taste, and then former favorite Dancing With the Stars. Sad day for television.

Shows on the bubble

UH, WHAT?! Almost every show I watch is in trouble, according to TV Guide. Check out the shows on the bubble and my response:

Happy Endings : Finding a home for Happy Endings since it moved from Wednesday and away from its strong­­ lead-in Modern Family has been tough (it now airs on Tuesday, a night full of comedies). And its scheduling options are limited, since ABC still embraces the concept of family hour and avoids airing shows with racy content before 9pm. Happy Endings is popular with the network's ad-sales department, since the audience has a high concentration of viewers with incomes over $100,000. The question is, are there enough of them? With only 2.9 million people tuning in to the Jan. 29 episode, maybe not.

I think you solved the problem here, TV Guide. When is Happy Endings even on? We were used to Wednesdays, then it switched to Tuesdays (when we're already watching a TON of other comedies!) and then it pops up on Sundays recently? I don't think ABC has ever given Happy Endings a chance. They are too busy fawning over Modern Family (and now, for some reason, The Neighbors it seems).

Besides that, Happy Endings is most definitely geared towards a younger crowd (at least I think so). That is historically a great demo for advertisers, but nowadays we're DVRing, watching online, downloading episodes, waiting for the DVD, etc. Until we can figure out a new model that factors in those viewers better, I fear all 20/30 something-centric shows will fail.

Nashville : The Music City drama hasn't attracted the kind of audience it deserves based on the critical raves it has received. But it's making money, and ABC's other fall dramas (like Last Resort) fizzled fast. Marketing new shows gets harder and more expensive every season, so ABC is likely to stick with Nashville and hope its viewership can grow.

I don't doubt it will. Every person (girl) I know that has started watching Nashville is instantly obsessed.   We need a good soap - no more One Tree Hill, Desperate Housweives, Brothers & Sisters, etc. I think Nashville fills that role.

Parenthood : NBC often wins Parenthood's Tuesday-at-10pm time slot among broadcast networks in the 18-49 age group that advertisers covet. That should make it a sure thing for a fifth season, right? Not necessarily: The large and expensive cast could be an obstacle. If Parenthood returns, don't be surprised if there's a budget-related family tragedy that thins the herd. Another route the show can take is to keep the entire cast on board but not for every episode, as ABC did with Brothers and Sisters in its later seasons. 

As much as that solution saddens me, it actually makes sense with the storyline. Keep Haddie at college except for a couple episodes. Send Drew off the same way. Send Sarah to live with Hank in Minnesota or Michigan or wherever he moved. Cut Mark completely.

That being said, more people should be watching Parenthood. Seriously. It is so, so good. A bright spot in the week - despite me usually spending half the episode in tears. The Bravermans are such a joy to watch. It would be a shame not to spend time in their world every week.

 Vegas : Eleven million seems like a lucky number for any new show. Not CBS' Vegas. Despite the large average audience, it hasn't fared well with the 18-49 demographic. (Not even close: The median viewer age is 60.7.) Nor does it generate the kind of online buzz that serialized shows typically do (yes, network executives pay attention to that). With its high-priced cast, including Dennis Quaid and Michael Chiklis, and feature film-worthy production design, Vegas is too expensive to move to Friday, where there are plenty of ­older viewers but where programming costs need to be low. Don't bet on this one to come back. 

This kind of sucks. I'm 26, and I kind of like Vegas. I agree that it has done what Playboy Club couldn't 
for recreating that Mad Men  magic on network television. That being said, people my age are not going to get into this show. Ever. Great cast, sure. Interesting storyline, yes (I'm really rooting for Chiklis to go straight! And more Chiklis / Quaid interaction!). But it doesn't hold a candle to any other crime shows / dramas we watch. Justified. The Following. Boardwalk Empire. I'm sorry, but the gangsters on Vegas are goody goodies compared to what we're used to watching. Implied violence, a wink and a nudge, will only get you so far.

 The Mindy Project : The Mindy Kaling-led Fox comedy hasn't shown any sign of being popular enough to lead off a night next season. "They chopped Ben and Kate, and it wasn't doing that much worse than Mindy," says one rival network exec. "It depends how many comedies they need next fall." Mindy does have supporters at the network who like the show creatively; one insider gives it a 75 percent chance of returning. 

Excuse me while I go lay down in a fetal position in the corner and cry. First, you cancel Ben & Kate - my favorite new show of the season. And now you speak of cancelling my 2nd favorite? I wish I could make all my friends watch Mindy. Literally. Tie them down. Force them to watch 'In the Club'. Force them to witness Mindy and her BFF wrestling. Force them to watch Mindy date that total douche / prince charming and see them be like 'OMG this is my life. This show is hilarious.' Mindy is the more PG, less awkward, less naked, network TV version of Girls.

The Carrie Diaries : The CW's Carrie Diaries is an example of how online streaming is changing the TV business. The network's deals with Hulu and Netflix to carry its shows are based on the number of episodes produced. So even if The Carrie Diaries isn't a hit the night it airs, if viewership remains steady, it might just come back.

No comment here. Cool I guess, about that Hulu / Netflix deal.

Did you watch The New Girl?

To be honest, I don't have much to say here since pretty much the entire episode was already in thr commercials...

It was funny. But slow. And disjointed. I guess that is sort of the point of a pilot.... to show that the series has legs for growth, nt necessarily to produce one 30 minute story.

I think this definitely has legs - Zooey is funny. The cute roommate and her are going to fall in love. That douchey character is okay. I like the Wayans but he's off the show (for Happy Endings, which is a-mah-zing and you need to watch it!). There were enough little one liners for me to know they have good writers.

I'll be tuning in. Will you?

No Joke. Emmy Nominations.

Mad Men, Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, Dexter, Justified - I love you all. And even the shows I don't watch, I'm confident your nomination is well-deserved (except that Beau Bridges' Brothers & Sisters nod. Seriously?)

Ok. Drama cataegories, you can go sit over there in the corner. You're good. I've got beef with the comedy nominations though. MAJOR BEEF.

There are more comedies besides Modern Family, The Office and 30 Rock. And Glee wasn't even that funny this season.

Have they ever seen Community or Bored to Death? I literally LOL every single episode. And don't all my friends love It's Always Sunny in Philedelphia? Curb Your Enthusiasm? I mean, people even like Cougar Town, but Courtney Cox's buddy Matt gets nominated for playing himself on Episodes? Really? Even newbie Happy Endings has caught a spot on my DVR!

I get it. The shows that were nominated are good. But geeeeeeeez I am so sick of seeing Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey at every stinkin award show. I'm rooting for Big Bang Theory by default.