Watch, wince, repeat
Network TV returns to same barrel for next season’s lineup
As U.S. broadcast networks rolled out their plans for next season last week, those watching could be forgiven for checking the calendar.
There’s the cast of NBC’s Will & Grace, ready to return. The folks at Roseanne are back on the couch. Dynasty and S.W.A.T. are coming back with new actors, the latter settling in to a CBS lineup that already boasts Hawaii Five-0 and MacGyver. Just a year after its farewell season, American Idol will live again.
With cable and streaming services enticing viewers with bold work like Game of Thrones, Stranger Things and The Handmaid’s Tale, broadcasters entered a time machine in a quest to find something appealing.
The reboot of Roseanne, ABC’s hit 1988-97 comedy about a working-class family led by Roseanne Barr, was that network’s big surprise.
“The Conners’ joys and struggles are as relevant and hilarious today as they were then, and there’s really no one better to comment on our modern America than Roseanne,” ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey said.
CW president Mark Pedowitz said it was a “no-brainer” to order a remake of the prime-time soap Dynasty. Much of the network’s target audience hadn’t been born when onscreen divas Linda Evans and Joan Collins engaged in cat fights, as they were charmingly called back then.
Networks are also wading more deeply into sci-fi and fantasy genres, aping the movie model that finds more reliable success with space and superhero sagas than untested themes. Marvel’s Inhumans will air on ABC. CW is adding Black Lightning to a comic book-heavy schedule that already includes The Flash and Supergirl. Fox will air The Gifted, a drama about children with mutant powers, and comedy Ghosted, about pals exploring unexplained phenomena in Los Angeles.
There’s a military drama trend next season, and it’s strictly elite. CBS is enlisting Seal Team, which explores the personal and professional lives of members of an “elite Navy SEAL team” deployed on missions worldwide. David Boreanaz (Bones) stars. NBC’s The Brave, with Anne Heche, is billed as a heart-pounding journey into the world of the “elite undercover” U.S. military.
There is originality out there. CBS, formulaic in its dramas, has two comedy newcomers that stand out. Me, Myself & I looks at the pivotal moments in a man’s life at different times, including age 14 in 1991, 40 in present day and 65 in 2042.
The sitcom By the Book, is about a man who challenges himself to live strictly in accordance with the Bible. It’s based on A.J. Jacobs’ bestselling book, The Year of Living Biblically. NBC’s Rise stars Josh Radnor as a teacher who turns a high school’s theatre program into a boost for students and a working-class town.