The Ten Best Decisions TV Networks Made This Fall
(Television Without Pity) — Most of the time, we're up in arms about decisions that TV networks make (particularly when they cancel shows that we love), but this fall there have been a surprising number of good moves on their part -- not including the full-season pickup for "Whitney," of course. Here are the ones we respect the most:
10. Moving "The Good Wife" to Sunday Night
We were initially upset about the show getting shuttled off to Sundays, especially since it meant we'd have to set our DVRs for "CSI: Miami" because of NFL-induced overruns. But even though it has taxed our DVRs, the move seems to have worked in terms of ratings, not despite but rather because of football and the huge audience it pushes to CBS's primetime lineup. Anything that gets more people watching "Good Wife" is fine by us.
9. Making "The Sing-Off" a Fall Show
This really wonderful reality singing competition is usually given a few short weeks in the doldrums of December, but now it's a real show with a lot of amazing talent. We're thrilled that we get to see these groups performing their well-rehearsed, technically challenging numbers on a weekly basis for the entire fall season.
[See Why 'The Sing-Off' is TV's Best Singing Competition]
8. Giving "2 Broke Girls" a Full Season
The show has some issues (mainly the supporting cast of stereotypical characters and the incredibly intrusive laugh track), but if you can get past those, there's some sharp dialogue and good chemistry between the two stars. We're glad that the network is giving this show time to grow (and hopefully to evolve away from its weak elements) for the rest of the TV year.
7. Saving Some of the Best for Midseason
It used to be that midseason was a dumping ground for some of the programs that were subpar alternates for fall shows that didn't make it. But now the winter and spring have practically become their own TV season, and we're looking forward to new series like "Smash," "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23," and "Alcatraz."
[Ten Ways to Improve Fall's Ailing Shows]
6. Taking "Glee" and "New Girl" Out of the Starting Rotation for Baseball
As demonstrated by "The X Factor" getting bumped at the last minute this Wednesday night and "Terra Nova" and "House" being pushed back on Monday because of MLB playoff delays and extra innings, airing new episodes during baseball's postseason is a dicey proposition. Better to take them off the air for a month and bring them back when people can actually watch them during their regularly scheduled time slots.
5. Quickly Canceling "Free Agents"
We felt sorry for everyone involved in this show, particularly Anthony Head. Really, they all deserved better than this rehashed material. At least Hank Azaria has years of huge "Simpsons" paydays to look forward to... oh, wait.
[See What Other TV Shows Are In Danger of Being Canceled]
4. "Hart of Dixie" Getting a Full Season
This show is ridiculous, implausible, and not even very well acted. Yet we're sort of happy it got a full season so we can continue laughing at it each week. For us, it's this year's "Hellcats," but instead of an unbelievable law student in half shirts, we've got an unbelievable doctor in short shorts.
3. No Network Saving "The Playboy Club"
We'd always preferred the light and inconsequential "Pan Am" to this fall's other period drama, and while "The Playboy Club" had a bit of a mystery, we really felt no curiosity about how it got resolved. So we're glad that there wasn't a stampede by other networks to "save" this show, which really shouldn't have aired in the first place.
[Get the Scoop on Fall TV's New and Returning Shows]
2. Holding "Once Upon a Time" Until Later
This fairy tale show (and the more procedural "Grimm") aren't debuting until the end of October, which gives them a better shot at survival. Not that either are mind-blowingly amazing, but one or both of these supernatural dramas would likely have gotten lost in the shuffle of new debuts before viewers had a chance to decide if they really like them or not. Based on the pilots we saw, that would've been a shame.
1. Canceling "How to Be a Gentleman"
This was one of the most appalling shows of the fall, so we're glad that it was quickly removed from the schedule. May the same fate befall "Last Man Standing" as soon as possible.
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