The Chicago Code

I liked Human Target - it was a good diversion. More pissed about Chicago Code - really hope it gets moved to FX considering Terriers and Lights Out won't be back. It would fit in well with Sons of Anarchy and Justified.

 

Lie to Me and Human Target were handled terribly by Fox. They were showing new episodes during the summer and other times when there are no other new shows on. Not sure if that was intentional or if they were just burning off shows that had already been shot and paid for...

ABC has done the same thing with Flashpoint, which was a good show that they're hyping as coming back for the summer, even though I'm pretty sure what they have was shot years ago...

 

Flashpoint is a CBS deal, bought from Canada, as an innings-eating middle reliever after Chaos got killed after two airings.
I figure Fox figured they had already spent significant money developing other shows for next season and had to start cutting. CBS is in a similar situation with most of their procedurals locked in. I'm surprised Fox hasn't started programming for 10 p.m. by now. They clearly have enough inventory, unless there are concerns about local affiliate newscasts and their FX shows.

 

I know Alcatraz is supposed to be the the most hyped show of next season and it's on Fox. I think Abrams is doing it and he has at least a couple of the Lost cast members signed up.

 

Fox also has Terra Nova - which has had a ton of money behind it.

 

Stumbled across Flashpoint via a DVR suggestion last summer and enjoyed it. Was pleased to see CBS picked it up for another season. It has sticking power and it's rare you them resort to busting an cap in some roguish Canadian's ass.

I tried to watch Chicago Code but gave up on it simply because my schedule got more busy. The problem Fox is facing is that it's damn near impossible to fill that 9pm Eastern role considering how 24 so dominated it for almost a decade. A show will eventually come, but remember, it took the Packers time to find a coach relatively close to Lombardi. Heaven forbid how they'll handle things in a couple of years if/when House pops his last Vicotin.

 

It is odd that broadcast networks seem to especially target certain viewing groups. CBS skews older with lots of cop shows, ABC targets women, Fox goes for young viewers through animation/Idol and NBC seems to go for shows aimed at TV reviewers and NOBODY else.
Mondays (and Sundays) are getting to be a pain since football dominates in the fall and takes so many male viewers away. Nobody seriously programs for Friday, Saturday is a wasteland (again football). So that leaves Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Throw in the various deals networks have with studios/producers etc. and the growth of reality programs (Dancing, Idol, Voice, Loser, Race, Survivor and now the X Factor) and it's a minor miracle anything of quality ends up thriving on broadcast.

 

I think Flashpoint has been canceled. I'm pretty sure some of the castmembers may even already be on other shows and that they're just burning off shows that are out there.

 

Sweet. Now, I can delete the 6 or 7 eps of Chicago Code off the DVR.

 

Correct you are, sir. CBS is running the final 12 episodes, which should run their course sometime in July. Shame....far from The Shield, but still a fairly watchable show.

 

Very watchable... I always liked Enrico Colantoni, dating back to Just Shoot Me. I was surprised to see him be so effective doing drama.

 

Fox originally didn't air shows at 10/9 Central (except on Sunday but they ended up giving that back) because of FCC rules at the time. The first was that a network couldn't produce more than X hours of its own shows. The second was that a network was defined by how many hours of programming it aired and airing 6 fewer hours a week meant Fox wasn't a network by definition, which also allowed it to air more shows it produced itself.

Those rules may not be in place anymore. But the affiliates make money off having 10/9 p.m. newscasts and aren't giving that hour up. It's part of the reason Fox backed off pursuing Conan. Its affiliates make too much money at 11/10 Central that a Fox show would take away and Conan would end up like Jimmy Kimmel in a lot of markets: Taped delayed to 11 or midnight.