Fall TV Previews: A Season of Suprises
The most anticipated attraction of Fall 2006 is the merger of UPN and The WB. After years of disappointing ratings for the two networks, each of them are taking the creme of their crop and throwing it all together to create a new network, The CW. Unfortunately, this means that hours of programming had to be cut. But don’t worry, there’s very little chance that you’ll be missing any of the exiles.
Among those left out in the cold are UPN comedies such as Eve, One on One, Cuts, Half & Half, and Love, Inc. CW also decided to cut all of the WB’s comedies – including Reba, Pepper Dennis, Living With Fran, and Twins.
But there is good news for all UPN fans. The CW comedy lineup will feature viewer favorites, such as Everybody Hates Chris, Girlfriends and All of Us. A brand new sitcom, The Game (a Girlfriends spin-off) is also set to make its premier this season.
Although CW’s entire comedy lineup is almost entirely composed of UPN shows, ninety percent of its drama series are extracted from The WB. This means that Gimore Girls, One Trill Hill, Supernatural, and Smallville will all return. Everwood has been cut. But 7th Heaven fans can rejoice – it’s been picked up for an 11th season! UPN’s Veronica Mars will also join the flock, as well as a new series, Runaway.
And of course the CW lineup wouldn’t be complete without the return of America’s Next Top Model and SmackDown – both of which are returning at their regularly scheduled days and times.
ABC is coming back strong in Fall 2006 with four new dramas (Brothers & Sisters, Six Degrees, Men in Trees, and The Nine), a load of new comedies (Help Me Help You, Let’s Rob…, Notes From the Underbelly, Betty The Ugly and Big Day) and the return of their signature reality shows. But there is some bad news. Invasion has been cancelled and Secrets of a Small Town didn’t make it to the schedule. In an effort to get in on the competition, Grey’s Anatomy has been moved to Thursday nights, a night that ABC has had little luck with against competition in the past.
Rival network FOX is jumping in the action with three new dramas that will kick off the season (and a fourth premiering in January). Viewer favorites, such as The OC, Nanny 911, Cops, House, The Simpsons, MADTV, and The Family Guy are all scheduled to return. Prison Break is set to be cancelled, but fans can enjoy it until December 2006 (when the official cut will be made). 24 and American Idol make their comeback in January.
NBC has announced their 2006-2007 schedule, and some big changes are in stores for viewers. Sunday Night Football will dominate Sunday nights, forcing the usual drama block into a tailspin and pushing Crossing Jordan into mid-season territory. The Thursday night two-hour comedy block has been cut to an hour. ER becomes a time-share this time around – with a cliffhanger occurring in December. But fans can rest easy, ER will return late spring, once the run of The Black Donelleys is done. Surface and E-Ring have been cancelled.
Unlike their competitors, CBS has little change to offer. Almost all of their series and time slots remain the same. But there is one surprise – the CBS Sunday Night Movie has been removed to make way for three shows – The Amazing Race, Cold Case and Without A Trace, which have all been relocated from Thursday nights. Super-talented actors such as Ray Liotta, James Woods, Virginia Madden and Skeet Ulrich grace the roster this season. Look forward to yet another award-winning season on CBS.
And that’s your Fall 2006 TV lineup! Whether you’re a fan of comedy, drama, reality, adventure, or a combination of all four, there’s something in store for everyone this time around. Now the only question is – Will you be watching? Enjoy the season!
