fall pilots

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: Fox's "K-Ville."

What's it about? This story about police officers in post-Katrina New Orleans centers on Marlin Boulet, a cop whose partner deserted him during the storm, and his new partner, Trevor Cobb, who has come to New Orleans from the Army to get a fresh start.

Who's in it? Anthony Anderson of "The Shield," Cole Hauser, Maximiliano Hernndez, Blake Shields, Tawny Cypress, John Carroll Lynch

The good: Anthony Anderson makes Marlin an appealing main character, a cop with questionable morals and traumatic memories of the hurricane who always seems just on the edge of a nervous breakdown. The New Orleans details are tastefully done and revealing, and it's impressive to see a show tackle a contemporary problem whose ultimate outcome is still unknown.

The bad: So many mysteries were solved and secrets revealed in the pilot that it felt like a movie, not a show; I couldn't imagine what other stories the series could explore. The officers who weren't Marlin or Trevor seemed like afterthoughts.

Will I watch? I'll give it an episode or two, at least.

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

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: Fox's "The Return of Jezebel James."

What's it about? Two estranged sisters — a driven book editor and an alterna-slacker — reconnect when the younger sister agrees to carry the older one's baby.

Who's in it? Parker Posey, Lauren Ambrose, Michael Arden, Scott Cohen

The good: The show is written by Amy Sherman-Palladino of "Gilmore Girls" fame, and the first episode packs in plenty of her signature snappy dialogue. Posey and Ambrose have a great sisterly chemistry, and the plot seems full of potential for at least a couple of strong seasons.

The bad: The production of this show was a huge turnoff for me. It's a half-hour comedy that should be a one-hour drama — or, at the very least, a comedy produced more in the style of "The Office." At least a couple of good lines got buried in the distracting laugh track, and the show felt very sound-stage-y — I'm not sure there was a single exterior shot! The episode also seemed rushed, as though 30 minutes wasn't enough for all the plot and character development the writers wanted to do.

Will I watch? This show has two of my favorite actresses and one of my favorite writers, so I want it to be good. But I have to say, if this show doesn't change a lot before it makes it to the air at midseason, I don't think I'll be watching.

To watch a preview clip and see a gallery of photos from the show, read more

Thanks to Fox, we now have sneak previews of that network's new fall shows, to add to the clips we've already seen from ABC, NBC, CBS and the CW. I'm eager to hear what you think of these clips, so get watching!

"New Amsterdam" (pictured above)
I still think this story of an immortal detective is the strangest of Fox's shows.

"The Return of Jezebel James"
Somehow, I think this would be much better without the laugh track.

I've got clips from the other Fox shows plus lots of photos, so read more

Just like NBC, ABC and CBS, the CW is already giving us a sampling of the goodies from its new fall shows. I'm most excited about the clips from "Gossip Girl" (pictured above), but there are also short videos and photos for the network's other new series. All of the clips are in this video player, or you can also read about each show and link directly to its video by clicking on the show name here: "Aliens in America," "Reaper," "Gossip Girl," "Life is Wild," "CW Now," and "Online Nation."

Here are my snap judgments: "Reaper," which is produced by Kevin Smith, looks basically like a buddy comedy, but about zombie hunters; "Life is Wild" reminds me an awful lot of "7th Heaven" but with large jungle animals; "Aliens in America" seems terrible or surprisingly promising, depending on which clip I watched; and I love that the kids in "Gossip Girl" actually look like high schoolers — with the exception of the main character, at least. I have videos from "Gossip Girl" and photos from the rest right here, so check them out!

"Gossip Girl"
In this clip, Serena deals with rejection from her ex-best friends.

Two more "Gossip Girl" clips and a ton of photos, so read more

CBS is joining ABC and NBC by giving us video previews of its new fall shows. Some info on the new series is over at the network's fall preview site, but I've got all the clips and photos right here — including a special look at Hugh Jackman singing in the first episode of "Viva Laughlin"! Check it out:

One more "Viva" clip, plus clips from the other shows and a ton of pictures, so read more

Now that I've had a while to think through the new CW fall schedule, I have some thoughts on which news is good, which is bad and which is still a little baffling. Take a spin through my list, then let me know what you think. (Don't forget to look at my thoughts on the ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox schedules, too!)

• I know "Veronica Mars" didn't get great ratings, but I don't see the logic behind bringing back the Pussycat Dolls show instead. I really can't say it better than Daisie did: "Who would you rather empower your daughters? The Pussycat Dolls or Veronica Mars?"
• It could be because the CW's description of it is not very clear, but I don't understand how "Reaper" is going to work. So this kid finds out he's the devil's bounty hunter and he has to reclaim escaped souls. OK, are the souls just floating around invisible to the rest of us? Or have they taken the form of people? And if they're people, how exactly is a Dirt Devil vacuum going to capture them? I'm confused.
• "One Tree Hill" fans, what do you make of the plans to jump the show four years forward?

A couple more thoughts, so read more

Now that I've had a while to think through the new Fox fall schedule, I have some thoughts on which news is good, which is bad and which is still a little baffling. Take a spin through my list, then let me know what you think. (Don't forget to look at my thoughts on the ABC, NBC and CBS schedules, too!)

• "The Rules for Starting Over," starring Rashida Jones, got picked up for midseason — so do you think Karen's going to corporate tonight?
• At first glance, Fox's schedule looked like such a confusing jumble that I wasn't sure I understood what they were doing — but on second thought, I think parts of it could be brilliant. One of the big problems with TV this year was shows being split up by lots and lots of midseason repeats, losing their momentum (and viewers) along the way. Fox seems to want to run more shows straight through ("24" style) and replace them with a new show when the episodes run out, and I think that's a good move. On the other hand, moving so many shows around to new time slots midseason just seems like a way to frustrate viewers.




• For the moment. there's no mention of "American Idol" being on Thursdays at all next year; the current schedule would keep it at a maximum of two nights per week. Fingers crossed.

A few more thoughts, so read more

Fox closed out Upfronts today by announcing 10 new shows, including the New Orleans cop tale "K-Ville" (pictured above), the band-focused "American Idol" spinoff, and the immortal detective story "New Amsterdam." Six of the new series will premiere in the fall, before the network shuffles its schedule in the spring to make room for four more new shows plus "American Idol" and "24."

Among returning shows, here's a sampling of the big news:

• "House" is one of the few shows staying put in its time slot all season. "Prison Break" will take a midseason hiatus, and "Bones" will start on Wednesdays, then later move to Fridays.
• "'Til Death" will return on Wednesdays and will get to reclaim its post-"Idol" slot in the spring.
• "Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?" got a full-season order and will kick off the Thursday night lineup. Ugh!

Here's the network's official press release, and to see the schedule and read descriptions of the new shows, read more

A year after the WB and UPN merged to become the CW, the network is shaking off many of the programs it inherited and coming up with a lineup all its own. It's heavy on reality shows, with a couple of dramas and a teen comedy thrown in for good measure.

But as for the big question: "Veronica Mars" is dead. However, network president Dawn Ostroff told reporters that she was talking to series creator Rob Thomas and star Kristen Bell about doing something else. She later gave this confusing quote to TV Guide's Michael Ausiello:

"Veronica Mars is over, but we're talking about something else. I don't know if it's going to be anything. I'm being honest with you. It could come back in some form, but I don't know what form that would be."

Update: Rob Thomas just said nobody's talked to him about a new project. Moment of silence, "Mars" fans. It doesn't look good.

On the positive side, the Bell-narrated "Gossip Girl" is a go, along with comedy "Aliens in America," supernatural series "Reaper," and family drama "Life is Wild." As for returning shows, here was some of the news:

• "One Tree Hill" will stay off the air until midseason, then be retooled dramatically with the characters zooming four years into the future, after college graduation. A series of diaries posted online will help fill in the gap.
• "Pussycat Dolls Present" will be back for a second season, though I'm not sure if they'll still be looking for another doll.
• "Beauty and the Geek" is moving to Tuesday nights.

Gone: "All of Us," "Reba," "Gilmore Girls," "7th Heaven," "Veronica Mars"

Here's the network's press release, and to see the network's full schedule and read descriptions of the new shows, read more

Now that I've had a while to think through the new CBS fall schedule, I have some thoughts on which news is good, which is bad and which is still a little baffling. Take a spin through my list, then let me know what you think. (Don't forget to look at my thoughts on the ABC and NBC schedules, too!)

• Could this be the year I actually watch CBS? (Sign No. 2 of the apocalypse, right up there with Friday TV being good.) I've rarely gotten hooked on a CBS show, and a lot of you say it's your least-watched network too. And yet, I'm finding myself excited about a couple of the shows they announced this morning, specifically "Viva Laughlin" (at right) and "Swingtown."
• Speaking of "Viva Laughlin," I think it has an equal chance of being a disaster and of being completely brilliant. It's based on the BBC series "Viva Blackpool," which I've never seen, but YouTube has some clips. Anyone here seen it? What do you think?
• A point raised by Phil: Will "Shark" being on Sunday nights hurt "Brothers & Sisters" on ABC? I've never seen "Shark," but I hear good things about it. Could their audiences overlap?

A few more thoughts, so read more