Docs and laywers: CBS picks up four pilots

CBS has just picked up two drama pilots which contradict today's project story about how networks are relying heavily on procedurals for next fall.

Wait, did I write "contradict"? I meant "continue to validate."

CBS has ordered a doctor show from the executive producer of "Jericho," plus a lawyer show, in addition to two comedies. The network's "Know Your Pilots" page has been updated. And see here for more details about all four projects.

'Private Practice' surges with crossover episode

The decision to pair "Grey's Anatomy" and its spinoff "Private Practice" on Thursday nights continues to bear ratings fruit for ABC.

The first "Grey's"-"Practice" crossover episode resulted in an above-and-beyond series high for "Practice" (11.8 million viewers, 5.3 preliminary adults 18-49 rating and 14 share). The spinoff was the second-highest rated show of the night following the highest-rated "Grey's (15.2 million, 5.8/14) since November -- an endeavor aided by CBS airing repeats for the evening (calling the shows a crossover is a bit generous, with fans complaining today that ABC pulled a ruse and the real cross pollinating doesn't start until next week). "Ugly Betty" (7.3 million, 2.3/7) was on par.

Meanwhile the other network midseason Thursday experiment is also heating up. Fox came in second place with its new pairing of "Bones" (10.8 million, 3.2/9) and "Hell's Kitchen" (7.7 million, 3.5/9). "Bones" was in first place at 8 p.m. and up 7% from its debut in the slot a couple weeks ago to mark the network's highest-rated scripted effort in the slot in three years. While the second episode of "Hell's" fell 27% from its premiere last week (which had an "American Idol" lead in).

Know your fall TV pilots! Cop, doctor, lawyer, remake or a new idea?

"We want a 'Mentalist'!" network executives cry. 

This pilot season, broadcasters are ordering more of what's been working: close-ended procedural stories.

Cops, doctors and lawyers are in.

Serialized and complex story lines or quirky subjects are out.

About two thirds of the current crop of major network TV pilots are considered workplace procedurals. There's also several pre-branded projects such as new versions of "V" and "Witches of Eastwick" -- familiar-sounding remakes that attract networks even though they're not perfectly formulaic. Also, expect a few apocalyptic stories thrown in for good measure.

Below is a rundown of the broadcast drama pilots complete with handy icons indicating if the show is about a cop, doctor, lawyer, a remake, the apocalypse or something (gasp) unique. Plus, what exactly makes each show supposedly different than what we've seen countless times before.

Each network has its own page. Be sure to click through all of them or NBC wins. 

NBC

Percentage-wise, NBC has the most procedure-tastic of pilot slates. This network is clearly determined to have a doctor or cop on the air next fall (just not at 10 p.m.).

Mercy
From the people who brought you "Friday Night Lights" (Liz Heldens)
Logline: A look at three nurses and their personal and professional lives
How it’s different: They’re not doctors, they’re nurses

Trauma
From the people who brought you “Faceless,” “Hancock” (Dario Scardapane, Peter Berg)
Logline: Ensemble series where EMTs help people
How it’s different: They’re not doctors, they’re paramedics, and they move around a lot

Legally Mad
From the people who brought you “Boston Legal” (David E. Kelley)
Logline: Father and daughter lawyers work at firm with eccentric characters
How it’s different: They’re not just lawyers, they’re family members. Will there be unresolved tension from their past that spills into their professional lives?

Lost & Found
From the people who brought you “Law & Order” (Dick Wolf)
Logline: Female cop upsets superiors and is sent to her department's basement as punishment, finds items from the lost & found and uses them to solve cold cases
How it’s different: Puts Katee Sackhoff in a basement

Day One
From the people who brought you “Heroes” (Jesse Alexander)
Logline: In the aftermath of a "global event" that devastates the world's infrastructures, a small band of survivors strive to rebuild society and unravel the mysteries of why the event took place
How it’s different: Can "Jericho" protesters just pretend this is "Jericho" and stop buying ads lobbying CBS to bring back the show?

Parenthood
From the people who brought you "Friday Night Lights" and “Parenthood” (Jason Katims, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer)
Logline: A dramedy a based on Howard's 1989 feature that centered on a Midwestern family
How it’s different: Family dramedy, with a name you’ve heard before

 

Southland
From the people who brought you “ER” (John Wells)
Logline: A group of police officers in Los Angeles solve crimes; fast-tracked to series
How it’s different: Um...

                <<<< NEXT: FOX >>>>

JUMP TO:

ABC DRAMA PILOTS: 'V,' 'Eastwick,' 'Flash Forward,' 'Happy Town' ...

CBS DRAMA PILOTS: 'NCIS' spinoff, 'House Rules,' 'Washington Field'...

FOX DRAMA PILOTS: 'Virtuality,' 'Masterwork,' 'Human Target' ...

'Lost Untangled' shows viewers the way

Nobody is more aware of how confusing "Lost" has become than ABC. The network has already added pop-up video factoids in its weekly "Lost" encore episode to hand-hold viewers who might be unable to keep track of the show's time jumps and nearly two dozen characters (some living, some dead, some Other).

Now they've unveiled another way to help clarify matters with viewers: "Lost Untangled," a rather clever new weekly recap feature. Is it arguably a wee bit condescending? Maybe. But it won me over with the action figures. Check it out, below.

'Lie to Me' climbs, 'Life' returns

Fox's crime drama "Lie to Me" climbed slightly in the ratings Wednesday night and caught up to ABC's "Lost."

"Lie" (13 million viewers, 4.7 preliminary adults 18-49 rating and 12 share) was up three-tenths of a point among the early adult demo numbers, even as lead-in "Idol" (26.3 million, 9.9/27) slipped a couple tenths from its preliminary number last week. Moreover, "Lie" tied ABC's "Lost" after ranking below the mystery thriller for two weeks. "Lie" was aided this time by CBS not airing "Criminal Minds," but it did have some new, if weaker, crime competition from NBC's "Life."

The return of "Life" (6.7 million, 1.8/4) was steady, but that's not a good thing. The cop drama pulled nearly the same low rating as its last original airing in late December. Lead-in "Knight Rider" (4.9 million, 1.4/4) was no help, dropping below its average this week. At 10 p.m., NBC still won the hour with "Law & Order" (8.7 million, 2.4/7).

So Fox won the night. ABC was second with "Lost" (11 million, 4.7/12), down a couple rungs this week, which also helped "Lie to Me" tie for the 9 p.m. hour. And 10 p.m.'s "Life on Mars" (6 million, 2.1/6) matched its lackluster premiere. CBS tied NBC for third with repeats and "Katie Couric's All-Access Grammy Special" (6.8 million, 2.1/5), which performed pretty well what's essentially a promotion for an upcoming event. The CW aired repeats.

HBO renews 'Big Love'

HBO has given a fourth-season pickup to relationship drama "Big Love," from executive producers Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman.

"The stellar reviews and solid viewership this season confirm that this is a signature series for HBO," said Michael Lombardo, president of programming at HBO. "The series keeps getting better and better."

Q&A;: C’mon, do ads REALLY make TV more fun?

Yesterday’s post about a NYU Stern research study that found commercials make TV programs more enjoyable provoked a strong reaction. Readers emailed, posted on the comment board and other bloggers weighed in. The response was pretty consistent with the first piece of feedback posted: "Bullsh**t. I like to watch TV without interruptions. Commercials are usually annoying pieces of sh*t."

Below, study co-author Jeff Galak addresses comments and questions.

Q: Who funded this study?

Galak: This was not funded by anybody outside of Stern. It came from our research budget. I also saw a comment saying we must be consulting for everybody and anybody. None of us are consulting for anybody on this topic.

Q: A lot of readers saw the article and said, “There’s no way this could possibly be true because I hate commercials and won’t watch a show if it has commercials in it.”

Galak: Half of the point was that people don’t predict the effect. As you pointed out with “Stumbling on Happiness,” this is true for a lot of things. The fact they’re so vehement about it is not surprising because that’s not only what we expect but what we specifically tested for in our research. There was a disconnect between what people expected to happen and what did happen. Our study was derivative of previous research that showed disruptions make positive experiences more enjoyable, and we just extended it into television.

Q: Would pausing your TiVo and taking a bathroom break be just as effective to interrupt the adaptation process and increase your enjoyment of a show?

Galak: I wouldn’t want to say that explicitly since we haven’t tested for that, but I expect so.

Q: Some readers said, “This is simply because viewers appreciate the show compared to the lousy commercials, not because the commercials make the show itself seem better.”

'Battlestar' ratings surge for home stretch

Sci Fi Channel's "Battlestar Galactica" is gathering ratings steam during its final episodes, bucking the usual serialized programming trend and surging despite its increasingly complex storyline.

With seven-day DVR data now added, the Jan. 16 "Battlestar" premiere is the most-watched episode of the series since the show's season two debut back in its 2005 heyday. (Granted, Nielsen didn't include DVR data in 2005, but they have for the past couple years).

The episode was seen by 2.8 million viewers, with the Friday telecast adding 32% more viewers thanks to DVR data.

ABC picks up Saget's 'Surviving Surburbia'

ABC has picked up the Media Rights Capital comedy "Surviving Suburbia" and scheduled the series to run after "Dancing With the Stars" in April.

"Suburbia" was originally planned as part of the CW's Sunday night block. The series has been rescued by ABC for its midseason lineup, with 13 episodes already shot.

The move brings Bob Saget back to the network after playing a suburban dad for nearly a decade on "Full House" (1987-95).

"Surburbia" is about a couple who have been married for 20 years, have two children and a cookie-cutter house in the idyllic suburbs, but with Saget's character maintaining a cynical point of view.

The series will premiere April 6 at 9:30 p.m., filling the slot vacated by "Samantha Who" now that the Christina Applegate comedy is moving to Thursdays. "Dancing" helped drive a significant audience to "Samantha" and establish the show. Going from the CW's now-defunct comedy block to a "Dancing" lead-in on ABC represents quite a twist-of-fate promotion for "Surburbia."

ABC now has a healthy number of half-hours for midseason, though they're going to be sprinkled across three nights on the schedule: "Suburbia" on Mondays, "Better Off Ted" and "Scrubs" on Tuesdays and "In the Motherhood" and "Samantha" on Thursdays. Still no word on the placement of Mike Judge's animated MRC comedy "The Goode Family."

Previous: ABC targets Thursday: Slots 'Motherhood' and 'Ted'

'Fringe' ties season high as 'Idol' climbs

Fox's dynamic duo of "American Idol" and "Fringe" ruled Tuesday night with both shows posting gains from last week.

Launching its Hollywood rounds, "Idol" (26.3 million, 9.9/25) climbed a tenth and is expected to increase a little more in the nationals. This marks the second week of growth for the reality hit. "Fringe" (13 million, 5.1/12), which popped 9%, also impressed. The thriller tied its season high (from back when it was first paired with "House") and was likely helped by CBS airing a "Mentalist" repeat in the hour.

NBC was second, with "Biggest Loser" (10.5 million, 4.0/10) on par with last week's strong number followed by "Law & Order: SVU" (10.3 million, 3.7/10) winning 10 p.m.

Third-place CBS aired repeats and an original "Without a Trace" (12 million, 2.6/7). ABC was fourth with "Homeland Security" (5.7 million, 1.6/4), not helped by lesser competition this week, the "Scrubs" hour (4.8 million, 2.2/5) unchanged and "Primetime: What Would You Do" (5.8 million, 2.3/6).

On the CW, "90210" (2.4 million, 1.3/3) climbed to its best rating among the network's target demo since it started going up against "Idol" and "Privileged" (1.7 million, 0.8/2) had its highest viewership since November.

'Top Chef' judge Eric Ripert in PBS' kitchen

Eric Ripert, the internationally recognized chef of Le Bernardin restaurant in New York and frequent guest judge on Bravo's "Top Chef," will star for the first time in his own TV series, called "Avec Eric," debuting nationally in the fall on PBS.

Ripert and Le Bernardin have received numerous accolades, earning the highest ratings possible from the New York Times, the Michelin Guide and Zagat.

Ten episodes of "Avec Eric," distributed by American Publication Television, are scheduled to run in the fall.

Fox's 'Dollhouse,' 'Terminator' grindhouse trailer

This is, no fooling, a fantastic promo.

The 1970s thing has been done before, sure. ABC recently tried something weakly similar for a "Life on Mars" ad. But with Fox trying to carve out a male-niche audience for "Terminator" and "Dollhouse" on low-traffic Friday nights, this highly watchable trailer packaging the shows as a grindhouse-style double feature just floors it -- embracing camp to an impressive degree for a broadcast network ("doo-blay your pleasure!"). 

Check out the trailer below (might take a moment to load).