fall pilots

About this time last year, I asked you to tell me which TV shows you thought had strong first episodes. This year, TV Guide has named its 10 favorite pilots of all time, and . . . let's just say I respectfully disagree.

Well, I can't quibble much with the magazine's No. 1 choice of Lost, a pilot many of you brought up last year. It's completely true that from the first minutes the show sucked viewers in (as TV Guide puts it) "like that dude who got too close to the engine." After that, though, things get a little wonky. Like, is it fair to put a pilot that never aired on the list, like the editors did with the Football Wives pilot (No. 7)? I know networks make mistakes, but if the show never made it to TV, the pilot couldn't have been that great.

Also sticking out to me: the 30 Rock pilot (decent, but that show didn't get really hilarious till about episode six) and Saturday Night Live (does that even count as a pilot?). I also think I'd put ER up further on the list and consider adding Grey's Anatomy, Twin Peaks, The West Wing, and/or Six Feet Under. What are your quibbles — and where do you agree? To see the whole top 10 list, just read more

One of the pilots I've been curious about for more than a year now is ABC's remake of the BBC series Life on Mars, which followed a police officer who found himself somehow transported to 1973. The remake, which David E. Kelley was writing and producing, was originally expected to be considered for the current TV season — but Kelley had trouble finding a man to play his lead character, so the pilot was never made.

Fast-forward a year. Jason O'Mara (at left), most recently seen as the brain tumor/bear attack guy on Grey's Anatomy, has been cast as officer Sam Tyler, the pilot has been filmed, and all is going well. In fact, ABC is reportedly close to giving the show a spot on its schedule ahead of next week's upfronts.

Oh, except there's one more problem: Now Kelley might leave, and since he owns the U.S. rights to the show, its future is mostly up to him. One option has the October Road team coming on to run the show, which makes my stomach feel a bit queasy; I've seen several episodes of the original Life on Mars, and while Kelley might not be the perfect fit to write a remake, I think he's closer than the Road folks.

After all of this, I'm wondering if Life on Mars is even a show people want to see. I wasn't familiar with O'Mara until his recent Grey's arc, and he bugged me there — but that could have been the character's fault, not his. Would you want to watch more of him? Does the concept interest you? And, if you've seen the original, do you think the show could work in the U.S.? To watch the BBC's original trailer, just read more

For the first time in a while, things actually seem to be looking up in the writers' strike. The writers and producers restarted informal talks this week for the first time since early December, the writers are dropping some demands in the hopes of reaching a deal, and the decision not to picket the Grammys seems like a hopeful sign. Still, even if there's a chance of getting TV shows back relatively soon, the strike's effects will definitely stretch beyond this season — and could change the way TV shows get developed for good.

Typically, this would be pilot season, when new shows scramble to make first episodes that will impress the networks and earn them a spot on the schedule come Upfronts time in May. But the networks are already dropping scripts that might otherwise have been turned into pilots. And NBC is taking the most radical approach of all, nixing the splashy Upfront presentations and even eliminating pilots themselves.

Networks do spend a lot of money producing pilots that don't get picked up. And it's true that pilots don't necessarily predict what a show will look like later: Last year's Pushing Daisies pilot had a bigger-name director and more expensive effects than the regular episodes that followed. But without pilots, how will NBC pick its shows? In theory, scripts should be enough — it works for movies, after all. But networks often take pilots to focus groups to learn if a show could keep them coming back week after week. (Not that that always works: Last year, Journeyman had the best focus group reactions in five years, and we know how that turned out.)

I just hope the network doesn't restrict itself to reality shows and shows that have already aired in other countries, a la Kath and Kim. No matter what, though, it seems like television could look pretty different when this is all over. What's your take?

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Back when I was trying to guess which fall pilots would get picked up by the networks, I was smart enough to see that cop shows and paranormal phenomena were among the year's major trends. Too bad I didn't realize they were going to smoosh together into one big trend: the supernatural crime-solver show. Four such series are already in the pipeline for the new TV season, and this week, NBC bought the rights to a fifth.

This new one doesn't have a title yet, but it apparently ignited a fierce bidding war between networks who wanted to claim the spooky dramedy for themselves. Variety calls it "a police procedural with a hilariously horrifying twist that follows a team of regular cops dedicated to busting vampires, zombies and other criminal demons." Hmm, sounds a whole lot like "Reaper," if the guy from "Reaper" were a cop.

In addition to those two, we also have:

• "Moonlight," a CBS drama about a vampire-slash-private investigator who uses his powers to work outside of the law.
• "New Amsterdam," the Fox show — which recently got bumped to midseason — about an immortal detective who uses his numerous lifetimes worth of experience to solve murders.
• "Pushing Daisies," the ABC procedural-with-a-twist about a guy who can bring people back from the dead long enough to learn what they remember about their killers.

Yep, NBC's new purchase means all five networks will have a supernatural crime show in the pipeline for the new TV season. It's almost enough to make me long for the good, old-fashioned, and downright earthly detective work of "CSI" or "Law & Order."

Photos courtesy of CBS, The CW, ABC, Inc. and Fox

I'm headed back to LA today for the final three presentations on the TCA press tour. The new CW shows take center stage today, and I'm sure we'll also hear lots of questions about the cancellation of "Veronica Mars." Then, on Sunday and Monday, Fox's shows — the new ones plus favorites including "House" and "So You Think You Can Dance" — are in the spotlight. Finally, on Tuesday and Wednesday, we'll be hearing from ABC, including much-buzzed-about new shows like "Private Practice" and "Dirty Sexy Money."

So I'm turning to you again to see what I should ask. What would you like to know from the stars, writers and producers? Which new series interest you most at this point? I'll be updating with TCA goodies today and throughout the weekend, so be sure to check back!

What's it about? A young man named Sam learns on his 21st birthday that his parents sold his soul to the devil. Thus, he becomes a bounty hunter for Satan, tasked with collecting evil souls that have escaped from hell.

Who's in it? Bret Harrison, Tyler Labine, Ray Wise, Missy Peregrym, Rick Gonzalez

The good: Astoundingly, this implausible and ridiculous storyline somehow comes across as... realistic. Perhaps because of Kevin Smith's influence on the pilot episode, they successfully manage to commit wholeheartedly to this setup and seriously explore the problems a 21-year-old would encounter in this situation without taking it so seriously that it becomes absurd. The actors are fantastic; the interplay between the two main friends played by Bret Harrison and Tyler Labine is especially gratifying, reminding me in many ways of the guy friendships in a Kevin Smith film. Maybe I went into it with low expectations (I mean, really, look at the plot description), but the show definitely made me laugh out loud many times.

The bad: This show requires some serious suspension of disbelief. For example, why can't the devil just grab these souls himself? Also, Sam's task is actually a positive thing: he's ridding the world of evildoers. So, it kinda seems like belonging to the devil is pretty cool. Finally, there's the recent news that the girl playing Sam's crush, his co-worker Andi, has been recast. Now she's being played by Missy Peregrym who seriously annoyed me in "Heroes." In the pilot episode, I really rooted for those two characters, so I just hope Peregrym can do the role justice.

Will I watch? Absolutely. I did a complete 180-degree turn with this show, assuming it would be the biggest joke on the CW's new fall lineup (and that's saying a lot). Now, though, I'm in awe of how well they were able to pull off a premise that seems so outrageous. Also, I'd like to see Sam get with his work crush. The whole thing has just the right ratio of silliness to sincerity for my tastes.

To see a preview of "Reaper," read more

Starting Monday, I'll be bringing you the scoop on this fall's new and returning TV shows straight from Los Angeles, where stars, writers, producers and journalists are gathering for the annual Television Critics Association press tour. While I'm there, I'll have a chance to chat with the people behind your favorite shows — and I want to make sure I'm asking the questions you want answered.

First up is NBC, where I'll be attending panel discussions with the casts and creators of NBC's new fall shows as well as stars from "Saturday Night Live," the Thursday night comedies, "Friday Night Lights," "Law & Order," and the new Sci Fi Channel series Tin Man with Zooey Deschanel.

So, take a spin through NBC's fall schedule and, in the comments below, let me know which of the network's new shows you're most curious about, what you'd want to ask your favorite NBC actors and actresses, and any other questions that cross your mind. Then, look for my reports right here on Buzz starting on Monday!

The networks have announced their fall schedules, but which of the series will actually be worth watching? Throughout the summer, as I watch the pilots, I'll be posting my first impressions. Note that a lot can change before a show actually makes it to air, so these aren't comprehensive reviews, just quick thoughts on how the shows look now. Today's installment: NBC's "Chuck."

What's it about? A nerdy, socially awkward computer geek gets all of the nation's security secrets implanted into his brain.

Who's in it? Zachary Levi of "Less than Perfect," Yvonne Strzechowski, Joshua Gomez, Sarah Lancaster

The good: I was thoroughly entertained by this pilot's quirky premise, witty dialogue, and Seth Cohen-meets-"Alias" main character, who happens to be pretty easy on the eyes. The show comes from the mind of "The OC" creator Josh Schwartz, and his influence is obvious in the show's tone and its better lines ("This is not an X-Box, and you are not an X-Man.")

The bad: There's a fine line between irreverent and incomprehensible, and "Chuck" occasionally ends up on the wrong side of it. Some major plot points — like, say, "How did this guy's brain become a computer?" — aren't really explained.

Will I watch? Definitely. Despite my reservations, "Chuck" was one of the most appealing pilots I've seen so far.

To watch a video preview and see a gallery of photos, read more