MagneticMediaFed

Do you smell that? That’s the smell of hope. Yes, it comes around once a year when the networks present their fall schedules to the advertisers, certain that this will be a year of greatness. The new shows will all be big hits and the returning favorites will attract viewers they didn’t even know were around. It’s a pretty sweet time to be in network programming.

That is until the fall actually arrives and one by one your great-write-hopes start falling of the schedule and your returning favorites begin to alienate their audience and suddenly you’re living in hell.

Now is not the time to dwell on the negatives, but instead a time to bask in the unlimited potential of NEW TELEVISION.

Here at MagneticMediaFed we hope to provide you with all of the upfront-coverage for which you could possibly ask… after all is said and done. Due to my own schedule and the fact that I won’t actually be attending any of the upfront presentations, don’t expect related posts until late in the evenings. Each night I hope to run through that day’s network’s line-up and offer some related commentary.

Here is the schedule for the week:

• Monday: NBC
• Tuesday: ABC
• Wednesday: CBS
• Thursday: Fox/CW

If you absolutely can’t wait to see if (for example) Veronica Mars made the fall schedule, might I direct you to The Futon Critic who seem to have a pretty good handle on the festivities.

Otherwise, MMF will have your fix starting early Tuesday morning.

As the network upfronts are set to get underway, information has started to leak, and minds can be put at ease. Take for example this bit of news: Friday Night Lights is going to get a second season. In an unofficial announcement by NBC, the network has given the go-ahead to the brilliant series as well as early word on four other dramas that will be making the fall schedule (The Bionic Woman, Chuck, Journeyman and Life).

Last month NBC went ahead and ordered six new scripts for Nights, a sign things looked promising. Looks like the writers are now slightly ahead of the game.

Now we’re just holding out hope for Veronica Mars and How I Met Your Mother. Is it possible we score a hat trick?

“Variety” reports more on the NBC pickup.

Honestly, who doesn’t love this show? Oh, that’s right, Les Moonves doesn’t love this show (robot!). Too bad it’s his finger on the button.

Quick sidebar: It seems stupid to root against an entire network. Root against shows, or for shows, or against or for personalities, but a network is just so big and faceless its kind of hard to hold a grudge against it. Well, I actively root against CBS. I root against them because its an entire network based on diluting the television landscape with the most mediocre, safe programming imaginable — and I’m talking about network television which is suppose to have mediocre programming.

Honestly CBS, how many crime shows is too many crime shows? Allow me to list them to better illustrate my point: CSI, CSI: Miami, CSI: New York, Cold Case, Without A Trace, NCIS, The Unit, Numb3rs, Criminal Minds, and maybe even Ghost Whisperer, which may or may not involve crime… and ghosts. It’s just so sickeningly boring, and as a television viewer I actually find it kind of insulting that I’m being sold the same program a dozen different ways and expected to thank them for the pleasure. I continue to bitch and moan after the break…

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It’s mysterious!

Well, the big news of the day is that Lost has officially set an end date. Yes, the show will be resolved and it will do so in May of… wait for it… 2010! That’s three more seasons for those of you keeping score at home. Now, as you collectively pick up your jaws from the floor and reattach them to your heads, check out how it’ll end up going down as reported by Variety:

In conjunction with the advance order, “Lost” showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse have inked hefty new multi-year overall deals with ABC Television Studio to continue with the series until the end. Duo had made setting a wrap date for the show a condition for staying.Lindelof and Cuse had wanted “Lost” to end after two more seasons. They’re essentially still getting their wish: The 48 episodes they’ll produce over the next three years is the same number the show produced during its first two seasons.

ABC execs, however, came up with a way to keep “Lost” on its sked for three more seasons. What’s more, the 16-episode arcs will run without repeats (a la “24″), allowing the Alphabet to make the show more of an event.
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That’s right, 16 episode seasons! This is as much great news as the whole three seasons thing is disastrous. Personally, I’m all for the decision. I don’t care if actual, recordable time is stretched to max so long as they don’t stretch out the story — which is what seems to have been happening to the series the past two seasons.

It finally seems like the networks (or at least a network) are starting to learn a little something from the cable model. Twenty-Two episode seasons over 9 months aren’t necessary when you can have a 13 (or 16) episode season spread over a tight four months. It’s enough time to take advantage of televisions strengths (telling a detailed story over numerous hours) without falling into its trappings (milking something beyond recognition well before it’s sell-by date).

What do you think? Will you continue to watch Lost until the very end? Is three years too long or do the shortened seasons make things a little easier to stomach?

May sweeps, the period in which network television tries to pull out all the stops in an attempt to skewer their ratings higher so they can charge more for advertising, started last Thursday, April 26th. Why Thursday? I’m not entirely sure, but would imagine it is due to the desire to keep the four week period clear of Memorial Day weekend, where the only people watching televsion are fans of mid-round NBA playoffs and losers like me. Sweeps concludes on Wednesday, May 23rd.

The good news is that all of your favorite shows (and even more of your least favorite shows) will be brand spankin’ new, complete with didn’t-see-that-coming twists and turns as well as celebrity cameos, shocking allegations, animals, trick photography and CG talking appliances. In other words, all the reasons in the world to avoid enjoying the outdoors for these few weeks when the weather isn’t suppose to be rainy or so hot you’re convinced you just might take home the pot in your Apocalypse is Nigh pool at work.

Here’s what I’m looking forward to watching:

• Seeing whether those crazy S.O.B.s over there at Lost can actually pull off the unimaginable: making some sense of this sometimes maddening season.
• Enjoying Heroes a few more times before it joins Lost in the category of shows that fell victim to second season frustrations.
• Jordin or Melinda?
• There are still more episodes of How I Met Your Mother, right? Seriously, that show has been especially MIA these past few months.
• Tony Soprano gets wacked or joins the witness protection program or retires to Vermont or god-forbid just goes on with his life as we’re left holding the cable bill

What are you anxious for? Or perhaps the better question would be, are you just anxious for the season to be over all ready?

Mark your calendars!

Oh, I was at a costume party…

Last night 30 Rock ended a pretty terrific season with a kind of so-so episode. It was the first time Tina Fey had penned an episode since the fall. This may or may not have been why the episode wasn’t as relentless as it had been. Once the writing staff started to take over for Ms. Fey this season, it seemed like the jokes-per-minutes ratio started to go through the roof. This isn’t a knock against her writing, just that when you’re used to laughing A LOT and then only laugh SOME, you walk away feeling a little let down.

Chris Parnell had all of the best lines this week as Dr. Spaceman (Spa-CHE-mon), but the other go-to characters Jack and Tracy were both out of their element (literally) and just couldn’t deliver the goods.

What I did appreciate was that the episode didn’t feel the need to throw in a lot of season finale nonsense despite the show learning early on that it was getting a second season. In fact there were no cliffhangers at all. Liz broke up with Floyd in a very ho-hum sort of way. Jack broke it off with Phoebe as something of an afterthought, and Tracy Jordan made it back to 30 Rock in time for his weekly pre-show rant (Tonight I think it’s going to be about immigration!).

This leads us to the Alec Baldwin news, which I’ll get to right after the jump…

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OK, this is highly speculative, but Kristin (whoever that is) over at E! Online is reporting/gossiping that Drive has been pulled from FOX’s schedule, despite having two episodes left to air. While this news troubles me, I find it unsurprising as the show’s ratings have been less than stellar. Oh FOX, how you love to destroy the dreams of many.

Despite this troubling news, I’m going to continute to review this show each week based on how I imagine the episodes would have been (in my mind). Not to spoil anything, but you can expect next Monday’s episode to feature Nathan Fillion and a space ship.

Another take over at TV Blend.

Our favorite ratings-tracking company, Nielsen Media Research, has released its first batch of the most “timeshifted” network broadcast programs. Timeshifting, for those still living a reel-to-reel lifestyle, is essentially recording a program to watched on your own schedule. People have been doing this since the mid-80s when a rocket scientist first cracked the “VCR Timer Code” allowing people to finally program their video recorders to start and stop on command. This audience was largely ignored. Now that the VCR has gone the way of the dodo and replaced by the incredibly friendly and easy to use DVR, suddenly those viewers (the timeshifters) became important… kinda (its not like these people are acutally watching commercials, which is for what the advertisers are looking).

Let’s get to the numbers: House, Lost, American Idol and CSI all had between 2.1 and 2.7 million more viewers when timeshifters were included. In terms of percentage increase The Office and Lost scored the biggest boost from the “I’ll watch it later” crowd getting a 31.5% and 22.8% increase respectively.

While typing this my boss brought up the good point that these shows will probably see an increase in product placement which, as anyone who has ever watched The Office can attest, is probably right on the money.

Get the full details by clicking here. Thanks for the tip, Paul.

The dream is dead, America. Rosie O’Donnell, actor, comedian, talk show host, horror show, has decided to leave The View this June. During contract negotiations ABC had wanted a three year commitment, whereas O’Donnell was looking at a one year re-up.

Since O’Donnell joined the show last year its ratings were up over 15% in key demographics. Though most of us who watch little daytime television will likely remember Rosie O’Donnell and her stint on The View as providing more material for The Soup and Best Week Ever (as well as gossip blogs) than they probably ever imagined. Was Paris Hilton sleeping and thus not exposing herself in public? No worries, there’s always Rosie on The View!

I’m sure many of us will miss her presence on the show. Not myself, but certainly many. Maybe tens.

More at TV Squad

Last week NBC brought in the lowest ratings for a week of television the network has seen in nearly 20 years averaging just 6.8 million viewers. The only two programs to appear in the Nielsen top 30 were the unbearably stupid Deal or No Deal and the decomposing ER. The good news is that the network’s one true hit, Heroes, was still on an epic hiatus (if you can’t really consider that good news).

The problems are evident: 1) NBC has several great shows that no one watches, and 2) the American populace is chalk full of idiots with remote controls.

So what can NBC possibly do? Faced with a similar decline in audience last year, the network naively thought it could attract viewers by classing the place up a bit. Friday Night Lights, Studio 60 and 30 Rock, The Black Donnellys – all high profile shows that completely failed to attract a wide audience (though it should be noted that if any of these shows were on cable and brought in similar ratings they’d be crowned as unmitigated achievements). What I find interesting is that none of these series focused on cops, lawyers, or doctors (though having two set around an SNL-like program should have been a red flag earlier than it was). More after the jump…

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We’ve been through this one before, but the Veronica Mars rumors have started again. This time word on the street is that the show is CANCELLED.

From a USA Today viewer mailbag segment with writer Robert Bianco:

San Francisco, CA: How come Veronica Mars wasn’t included on the USA Today “save or axe” survey? Has it’s fate already been decided?

Robert Bianco: Yes. According to our reporter Gary Levin, the show has been cancelled. And he’s almost always right about such things.
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So Mr. Levin things he’s hot stuff, eh? Let’s hope in this case his sources are incorrect.

This could get complicated, so lets break it down into pieces:1) Cablevision, the Long Island, New York based cable provider and ruiner of major market basketball teams, is trying to roll-out an innovation for its digital cable subscribers. The new service is called Remote Access DVR. It gives the customer the ability to record scheduled programming, pause live TV, fast-forward through commercials and all the rest of it, but unlike the standard-issued DVR box (which is expensive for the company to provide and maintain), the remote access service would record all of the programming at a centralized server accessible to the customer through a standard digital cable box.

OK. Cool. That sounds like something I might be interested in. How do I get one? (More after the break…)

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During this time of the television season, there is no greater value than knowing when your favorite show is coming back or coming to a close. So take a look at TV Squad’s comprehensive rundown of all the important TV dates until June (also helpful to Fantasy Televisoin League players trying to squeeze out some extra points).

Here are some that I’m marking in my datebook:

• Veronica Mars returns May 1st
• Drive starts on April 15th (which is also when you need to have your taxes filed)
• Resuce Me comes back June 12th (and hopefully rights a sinking ship)
• It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia returns June 28th
• May 23rd both Lost and American Idol wrap up their seasons.

The list also reminds us that summer (SUMMER!) isn’t all that far away.

The network television upfront presentations aren’t until May, That’s when each broadcast network shows the advertisers what will be on their air the coming fall. Of course, nothing that’s announced is ever guaranteed — Notes from the Underbelly — but it does signify which programs will remain (or go into) production.ABC, who is averaging about a million fewer viewers than this time last year (thanks in part of the loss of Monday Night Football and Lost’s lower ratings presence), has decided to go ahead and let us know that their most popular series will in fact be back.

This includes new shows Ugly Betty, Brothers & Sisters and Men In Trees, along with network staples Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Lost and Boston Legal.

Several reality shows will also return including The Bachelor, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Dancing with the Stars, America’s Funniest Home Videos, Supernanny and Wife Swap.

Jimmy Kimmel Live will also come back.

None of these announcements should come as much of a surprise to anyone paying attention.

There are still a host of shows (and I suppose, a few show hosts) that are very much on the chopping block. Personally, I’m waiting on verdicts for the following: Friday Night Lights, Veronica Mars, 30 Rock, Andy Barker P.I., Raines, and even Drive, a promising show on FOX that has yet to air a single episode.

What do you want to return?

ALSO: Fox renews Prison Break for a third season.

I was going to write about the new sketch show The Whitest Kids U’Know, which premiered last night on Fuse, but I found the whole thing far too baffling to comment on at this point.

Instead, there’s a wire story making the rounds this morning that struck me as quite interesting. According to Nielsen Media Research the average US home gets 104 channels which is up from 61 in 2000 and only 33 in 1990.

More interesting, however, is that only 15% of the available channels were actually being watching with any regularity, compared with 22% back in 2000. Basically the options have increased, but people’s television destinations have remained the same.

This then raises the whole question about à lá carte cable, and if we’d all be better off purchasing the channels we want instead of these massive cable or satellite packages . Personally, I’m against the à lá carte model because the “bigger” networks would have inflated costs and when all is said and done you really wouldn’t be saving any money and you’d have access to less information (even if you don’t utilize that information currently). Still it’s interesting to think about.

Would you rather pay for each channel you watch, and if so what channels would those be?

My list is available right after the jump…

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