Entertainment

Mysterious dramas and a wishfully named 'Smash' head for primetime

Posted January 13, 2012 5:00 am

By Lisa de Moraes The Washington Post

A songwriter (Debra Messing) and a producer (Anjelica Huston) work together on a new musical in NBC's “Smash” - otherwise known as “Glee” for adults.

Late last week, in a hotel in sunny Pasadena, Calif., broadcast TV suits rhapsodized about the can't-miss-ed-ness of the new series they're unveiling for midseason - which, in rough numbers, means "between now and late May."

Kiefer Sutherland's back!

Guess what "GCB" stands for (tee-hee)!

We've got "Glee" - for grown-ups!

Some of the critics may have forgotten these same suits assured them just six months ago that this was The TV Season of Simon Cowell - and the season of time traveling to an age when Steven Spielberg's dinosaurs tore up the landscape and Hugh Hefner was young and virile.

Only, as it turned out, this is not The TV Season of Simon Cowell, creator of Fox's "The X Factor."

And, while they got it right about viewers longing to travel back in time, they were all wet about the dinosaurs and Hef. Viewers longed for an age when Rumpelstiltskin and Little Red Riding Hood roamed the Earth, when Prince Charming cavorted with Snow White rather than Playboy bunnies, and when Tim Allen was a big sitcom star on ABC.

If time travel was the rage for fall, missing people is the trend for "midseason" - at least ABC thinks so.

Early next month, ABC will unveil "The River," about a nature-show star who goes up the Amazon and vanishes. Six months later, his family goes looking for him. They are aided by, among others, a lethal bodyguard and Dad's producer, who's going to shoot the whole thing documentary-style. This one's got Comic-Con monster hit written all over it.

Then, in March, ABC will trot out "Missing," starring Ashley Judd. It's a bad day for foreign kidnappers who take her son, not realizing she's former CIA.

But ABC hasn't given up entirely on time travel. Just the other day, it debuted a midseason sitcom straight out of the '80s, called "Work It." The show, as described by ABC, is about "two unrepentant guy's guys who, desperate to find work in a tough economy, dress as women to get jobs."

Before its premiere, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation had already derided it as "archaic," "caricaturish" and lacking the "smart level of social commentary" of '80s sitcom "Bosom Buddies." Yes, that's right, "Bosom Buddies."

Meanwhile, other groups have got their undies in a bunch over the name of ABC's midseason prime-time soap - this one based on the 2008 book "Good Christian B------." The network changed the name - first to "Good Christian Belles," when they were selling it to advertisers. Then ABC changed it again to "GCB," and is counting on fans of the book, and those knicker-knotted special-interest groups, to spread the word as to what it stands for. Anyway, it's about a reformed high school mean girl who is now a divorced mom and heading back to her hometown of Dallas to become the target of former schoolmates she once tormented.

"GCB" isn't the only midseason entry to have suffered a name change for the worse. NBC has turned late-night comic Chelsea Handler's book "Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea" into a comedy series, only the show is called "Are You There, Chelsea?" because, Handler explained recently, "You can't put 'vodka' in the title for network purposes."

NBC is pinning a lot of hope on one of the most-talked-about new series this TV season: "Smash."

"Smash," from Spielberg, is about a songwriting duo who are creating a Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. It's been dubbed "'Glee' for adults," and former "American Idol" nonwinner Katharine McPhee plays a naive Midwesterner who is among those vying for the Marilyn role. Angelica Huston makes her TV series debut as a cynical producer, and Debra Messing ("Will & Grace") is half of the songwriting duo.

Hoping to attract John Grisham fans, NBC's midseason drama "The Firm" picks up 10 years after the book - and the Tom Cruise hit flick - with lawyer Mitch McDeere and family emerging from witness protection, where they've been hanging out since Mitch brought down his nasty law firm. "The Firm" debuted this week and has the once-cushy "ER" slot - 9 p.m. Thursday - which is where NBC's mangled reboot of Helen Mirren's "Prime Suspect" died so disappointingly in the fall.

What with baseball playoffs, the World Series and "The X Factor," gobbling up so much of Fox's schedule in the fourth quarter, the network decided to hold back some of its most high-profile new programming for midseason, or, as Fox calls it, "American Idol" season.

Kiefer Sutherland, star of "24," is back on Fox in a thriller called "Touch," from "Heroes" boss Tim Kring, about a widower who discovers that his mute 11-year-old son can discern patterns that connect seemingly unconnected events. The series starts in March, but the pilot will air Wednesday, Jan. 25, in a special preview.

But first, on Monday, Jan. 16, Fox debuts the latest J.J. Abrams drama series, "Alcatraz." Jorge Garcia of "Lost," Sarah Jones of "Sons of Anarchy" and Sam Neill of "Jurassic Park" are investigating the shocking reappearance of Alcatraz's most notorious prisoners - looking not a day older - 50 years after they vanished from the island fortress.

In marked contrast, CBS - the nation's most-watched television network - has nothing big planned for midseason, though it rolled out Rob Schneider's "Rob" earlier this week. The network boasts the country's most-watched television program - "NCIS" - and the country's most-watched new program - "2 Broke Girls."

And then, there's CW.

The network is not having a good season - but then, why should this one be different? Despite the return to network series TV of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" star Sarah Michelle Gellar in "Ringer," CW has lost about 20 percent of its audience year to year. And, let's face it, the final season of "One Tree Hill," which started Wednesday, plus the Jan. 18 launch of a new reality series about the creation of a modeling agency, called "Remodeled," are unlikely to reverse CW's ratings plunge.

While the broadcast networks trot out all this new product in the second half of this TV season, they'll be battling some particularly stiff competition. Here are some of those highlights:

On Sunday, PBS began airing the much-anticipated Season 2 of its Emmy-winning crunchy-gravel drama "Downton Abbey." Also Sunday, Showtime introduced its highly hyped "House of Lies," starring Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell as con artist consultants.

Later this month, HBO will roll out its much-ballyhooed horse-racing drama "Luck," from Michael Mann and David Milch, and starring Dustin Hoffman in his TV series debut.

HBO's coming attractions also include Ricky Gervais' latest celebrity-strewn comedy, "Life's Too Short." This one is a faux-reality series in which, as Gervais has described it, we get to see C-listers "living their life like an open wound."

On Jan. 1, HBO premiered the buzzy sketch comedy series "Angry Boys," but, if its ratings for its U.S. run wind up anything like the ratings it got in Australia, where it premiered in May, "Boys" isn't going to give the broadcast networks any trouble.

New midseason TV shows

Debuted this week:

Ÿ "CBS This Morning" - Replaces "Early Show," with co-hosts Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Erica Hill.

Ÿ "Shipping Wars" (A&E) - People who hire themselves out to move really big things on deadline.

Ÿ "24 Hour Catwalk" (Lifetime) - Designers compete to create the best collection.

Ÿ "Are You There, Chelsea?" (NBC) - Sitcom inspired by comedian Chelsea Handler's books.

Ÿ "Rob" (CBS) - Stars Rob Schneider as a newlywed who must adjust to being part of a close-knit Mexican-American family.

Ÿ "The Finder" (Fox) - "Bones" spinoff about a man who can locate anything in the world.

Debuting Sunday, Jan. 15:

Ÿ "Napoleon Dynamite" (7:30 p.m. Fox) - Cartoon based on the 2004 movie about a small-town Idaho teen.

Monday, Jan. 16:

Ÿ "The Revolution" (1 p.m. ABC) - Ty Pennington, Tim Gunn and others host this new lifestyle daytime talk show.

Ÿ "Alcatraz" (7 p.m. Fox) - J.J. Abrams-produced mystery about the reappearance of the famed prison's most dangerous criminals years after they disappeared.

Tuesday, Jan. 17:

Ÿ "Remodeled" (8 p.m. CW) - Reality show about a modeling industry veteran who brings together agencies from small towns around the world to form a modeling empire.

Ÿ "Ragin' Cajuns" (9 p.m. Discovery) - Docu-series follows fishermen during shrimp season in the Louisiana bayous.

Thursday, Jan. 19:

Ÿ "Unsupervised" (9:30 p.m. FX) - Animated series about two teenage friends trying to live life without parental interference.

Friday, Jan. 20:

Ÿ "On Freddie Roach" (8:30 p.m. HBO) - Cinema verite series looks at Hollywood boxing trainer Freddie Roach.

Friday, Jan. 27:

Ÿ "Bering Sea Gold" (9 p.m. Discovery) - Take "Deadliest Catch" and add "Gold Rush" and you sort of get the idea.

Sunday, Jan. 29:

Ÿ "Luck" (8 p.m. HBO) - Dustin Hoffman stars in this drama about the world of competitive horse racing.

Thursday, Feb. 2:

Ÿ "I Just Want My Pants Back" (10 p.m. MTV) - Comedy about a group of friends trying to make it post-college in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Monday, Feb. 6:

Ÿ "Smash" (9 p.m. NBC) - Stars Debra Messing and Katharine McPhee; chronicles the production of a Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe.

Tuesday, Feb. 7:

Ÿ "The River" (8 p.m. ABC) - Creepy drama about a man who goes missing in the Amazon and his family's quest to find him.

Sunday, Feb. 19:

Ÿ "Life's Too Short" (9:30 p.m. HBO) - Mockumentary produced by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant about a little-person actor (Warwick Davis) trying to get back into the spotlight.

Sunday, March 4:

Ÿ "GCB" (9 p.m. ABC) - A former mean girl moves back to Dallas after her marriage ends and must face the women she tormented in high school.

Tuesday, March 13:

Ÿ "Fashion Star" (9 p.m. NBC) - Elle Macpherson hosts this reality competition series.

Thursday, March 15:

Ÿ "Missing" (7 p.m. ABC) - A woman (Ashley Judd) frantically heads to Europe to find her son when he disappears while studying abroad.

Monday, March 19:

Ÿ "Touch" (8 p.m. Fox) - Kiefer Sutherland stars as a widower who learns his son, an 11-year-old who can't speak, is a genius who can see things no one else can. Note: Fox will run the pilot in a special preview at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25.

HBO landed Oscar-winning actor Dustin Hoffman, in his series television debut, for its new drama “Luck.”

Rebecca (Sarah Jones) gets help from Doc (Jorge Garcia) as she investigates mysterious happenings in “Alcatraz.”

The disappearance of a wildlife expert/TV host (Bruce Greenwood) fuels the mystery in ABC’s new drama “The River.”

NBC this week unveiled “The Firm,” starring Josh Lucas. The show picks up years after the John Grisham best-seller left off.

The return of a former classmate shakes up the lives of a group of Dallas women, including former outsider Heather Cruz (DuPage native Marisol Nichols), in ABC's "GCB."

Nick Nolte stars in HBO’s horse-racing drama “Luck,” debuting at the end of the month.

Napoleon tries to join a local underground fight club in the series premiere of “Napoleon Dynamite,” airing Sunday, Jan. 15, on Fox.

Midseason's returning programs

Ÿ “The Amazing Race” CBS (Feb. 19)

Ÿ “American Idol” Fox (Jan. 18)

Ÿ “Archer” FX (Jan. 19)

Ÿ “Being Human” Syfy (Jan. 16)

Ÿ “Bob's Burgers” Fox (March 11)

Ÿ “Californication” Showtime (Jan. 8)

Ÿ “Celebrity Apprentice” NBC (Feb. 12)

Ÿ “Dance Moms” Lifetime (Jan. 10)

Ÿ “Dancing With the Stars” ABC (March 19)

Ÿ “Downton Abbey” PBS (Jan. 8)

Ÿ “Eastbound & Down” HBO (Feb. 19)

Ÿ “Face Off” Syfy (Jan. 11)

Ÿ “The Game” BET (Jan. 10)

Ÿ “Justified” FX (Jan. 17)

Ÿ “Kitchen Nightmares” Fox (Jan. 13)

Ÿ “One Tree Hill” CW (Jan. 11)

Ÿ “Psych” USA (Feb. 29)

Ÿ “Royal Pains” USA (Jan. 18)

Ÿ “Shark Tank”ABC (Jan. 20)

Ÿ “Shameless” Showtime (Jan. 8)

Ÿ “Southland” TNT (Jan. 17)

Ÿ “Spartacus: Vengeance” Starz (Jan. 27)

Ÿ “Undercover Boss” CBS (Jan. 15)

Ÿ “The Voice” NBC (Feb. 5)

Ÿ “The Walking Dead” AMC (Feb. 12)

Ÿ “White Collar” USA (Jan. 17)

Ÿ “Who Do You Think You Are?” NBC (Feb. 3)

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