Filed under: OpEd, Arrested Development, Video, Retro Squad, Cancellations, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free

Do not adjust your web browser. You are now entering the Retro Squad, where we are reviewing past episodes of classic TV shows.

(S03E13) Originally aired February 10th, 2006 -- I could roll out about a dozen clichés when describing the series finale of Arrested Development, but I'm honestly not sure that saying "this was the end of an era" does it enough justice. For those that own the DVD sets, take a look at the cover for season two. There's a quote from Entertainment Weekly on it: "Once in the history of time comes a sitcom like Arrested Development."

Too bad FOX never saw it that way. Not only did they delay the airing of the final four AD episodes, but when it came time to show them, they got bundled together and aired 'em in a row - on a Friday night in the middle of winter! As I've said before, it sucks that Emmy wins don't dictate a show's future. But we really can't blame FOX because those Emmys are arguably why we were lucky enough to get three seasons period. Blame the people who watched Skating with Celebrities (AD's time-slot replacement) instead.

Continue reading Arrested Development: Development Arrested (series finale) - VIDEO

 

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Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, OpEd, Video, Short-Lived Shows, Cancellations, Reality-Free

Invasion aired for one season from 2005-2006. Check out Jonathan Toomey's great reviewcaps here.

Along with Surface, Invasion was one of my favorite new shows that season, with each episode getting better and better. By the series finale, I was hooked. I'm still miffed that ABC didn't give it more time to flesh out the story and characters.

Incorporating a sci-fi-alien mystery, a government conspiracy, and plenty of family drama, Invasion had a built-in audience because it aired directly after another sci-fi mystery, Lost. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to keep the series on the air.

Continue reading Short-Lived Shows: Invasion - VIDEO

 

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Filed under: Industry, Cancellations, Dirt, WGA Strike, Reality-Free

You don't usually get cancellation or pick-up announcements about TV shows at a charity fund-raising event. But that's what happened yesterday at the "A Time for Heroes" Celebrity Carnival benefiting the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, or the "ATFH"CCBTEGPAF for short. When asked about the chances of her FX series getting picked up for a third season, Courteney Cox announced that Dirt has been canceled.

The show was never really embraced whole-heartedly, either critically or in the ratings, but it managed a second shot. Unfortunately for Cox and company, that second season was cut short by the WGA Strike, and as with many bubble shows, it just fell by the wayside. Maybe the tweaking they did to the format for Season Two, making it lighter and more accessible to the casual viewer turned off more of their hardcore fans than they anticipated. Maybe the ratings it was getting just weren't enough for FX to pick back up production after the strike. Maybe David Arquette had a habit of showing up on the set in his BVDs and it finally just got to be too much for the cast and crew, so they walked. Or maybe Shane dropped a grenade in Lucy's lap in that finale they just never got a chance to film.

 

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Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Arrested Development, Cancellations, Awards, TV Squad Lists, Journeyman, Moonlight, New Amsterdam, TV Squad Awards

There were plenty of choices for The Arrested Development Award, a.k.a. The Show Least Deserving of Cancellation Award. Among them, Las Vegas, New Amsterdam, Miss Guided, Aliens in America, and Women's Murder Club.

The Readers Choice Award goes to Moonlight, the vampire-themed crime-drama-romance that amassed an insane amount of fans during its short run. And it still might come back on another network, so we'll keep our collective fingers crossed on that.

The TV Squadders' pick is Journeyman. Here's why:

1. Time-traveling is cool. The idea of time-travel is always intriguing, as evidenced by other shows like Quantum Leap and Sliders. What's cool about Journeyman is that Dan Vasser, played by Kevin McKidd, is just a normal guy who could be any one of us. At first, he hates the time-traveling. It interrupts his life and causes undue stress, both at home and work. But later, when given the opportunity to make it stop, he chooses to keep time-traveling. He knows he's been chosen for a reason, and feels it's his calling to help people right the wrongs of history. Never mind that every episode made me wonder how much of history he changed by leaping into the past. I can only imagine that even the smallest of events might drastically alter the space-time continuum.

Continue reading The Arrested Development Award: Winner - VIDEO

 

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Filed under: Programming, Jericho, Cancellations, Reality-Free

I know, I know, you're thinking to yourself, "I thought we went through this already and Jericho has been officially, definitely, and finally canceled by CBS?" Oh, silly people!

Jericho fans just won't quit. The "Save Jericho" people have erected a billboard on Ventura Blvd. in Los Angeles. It looks like a real estate ad, with a sign that says "TV Show For Sale," and includes the CBS phone number and the URL for a web site. They're looking for a new home for the show, and if it's not CBS then maybe The Sci-Fi Channel or another cable network.

Now, I sort of rolled my eyes at this, but what makes it a little bit more confusing is that Jericho producers Carol Barbee and Jon Steinberg called into a radio show during Jerichon and said that they were having meetings with various people and that they were optimistic. Huh?!

[via Franklin Ave.]

 

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Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Other Comedy Shows, Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, OpEd, Cancellations, Awards, Upfronts, Journeyman, Moonlight, New Amsterdam, Reality-Free, TV Squad Awards

Did your favorite show get canceled? Yeah, mine too. It makes you think twice about investing time into a new show, because you never know how long it'll last. Sometimes even shows with fairly good ratings are sent to the chopping block.

Here at TV Squad, we're doing our part to bring attention to cool shows that were axed in the recent upfront announcements. Last week, I put out a call for considerations for The Arrested Development Award, a.k.a. The Show Least Deserving of Cancellation Award.

You made your opinions known - thank you! - and now we're into Phase 2: The Nominees. The Squad will pick our own winner, but we're giving you the chance to pick a Reader's Choice winner. Here are the nominees, and be sure to vote in the poll at the bottom.

Continue reading The Arrested Development Award Nominees

 

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Filed under: Cancellations, Reality-Free

Frasier has left the building, but Kelsey Grammer hasn't. Or maybe he just doesn't want to. The actor, whose Fox situation comedy, Back to You, was canceled after just one season, doesn't want to call it quits. He wants the show to continue and he's so determined, he's even lobbied for the show personally. The Emmy award winning star phoned CBS executives -- including CBS CEO Les Moonves -- to plead the case for Back to You.

When Kelsey phoned, Les took the call, and he even told Grammer that he'd "think about it," that is, moving Back to You to CBS. However, when Kelsey followed up with a call to Nina Tassler, CBS Entertainment prez, she dismissed it. There really was no room on the CBS schedule for another sitcom; even Rules of Engagement (which CBS has a vested interest in bringing back) won't be broadcast till mid-season next year. There's no mention of Kelsey calling ABC or NBC; perhaps they didn't take his call?

Continue reading Kelsey asks CBS to save Back to You

 

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Filed under: Programming, Celebrities, Cancellations, Super Skank Wednesday

Flavor Flav's search for the right woman will end in Paris next week. Sniffle. Hold on while I wipe the single tear from my eye. After three seasons of Flavor of Love, VH1 has announced that next Monday's show will be Flav's last chance at finding love... well, his last chance on a reality dating show where VH1 casts a bunch of skanks for him to choose from. I'm already planning a Super Skank Wednesday tribute to the glorious Flavor of Love, the show that started it all. (Don't ask me to define what exactly it started. Just know that whatever was started, was started by Flavor of Love.)

The season and series finale of Flavor of Love will air on Monday, May 19th at 9:00 p.m. ET / PT. In the words of Flav (a man never at loss for something pithy to say), the finale is sure to be "dramatical."
I put a clip from the finale after the jump for you enjoyment.

Continue reading Flavor of Love: Three's a charm - VIDEO

 

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Filed under: Industry, Programming, The Amazing Race, CSI, Survivor, Numb3rs, How I Met Your Mother, Cancellations, Pickups and Renewals, Shark, Upfronts, Cane, Moonlight

CBS announced its plans for the 2008-2009 season today. For the most part, things are staying the same, but there are two new sitcoms and four hour dramas planned. Here are the highlights:

Returning: The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Rules of Engagement, The Unit, Cold Case, Numb3rs, Criminal Minds, The Ghost Whisperer, CSI, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, NCIS, 60 Minutes, Without A Trace, Survivor, The Amazing Race

Out: Shark, Moonlight, Cane, Kid Nation, Power of 10, Secret Talents of the Stars, Viva Laughlin, Welcome to the Captain

New: The Worst Week, Project Gary, The Ex List, Eleventh Hour, The Mentalist

Mid-season: Harper's Island, Rules of Engagement

Schedule and detailed descriptions of the new shows coming soon, after the jump.

Continue reading The Upfronts: CBS

 

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Filed under: Cancellations, Pickups and Renewals, Shark, Reality-Free

CBS doesn't announce its new schedule till tomorrow, but the news is spilling out everywhere about what's in and what's out. The New Adventures of Old Christine has been given a 22-episode commitment for a third season; Shark has been sunk. For fans of the James Woods legal drama -- and I know there are lots of you out there because you've posted here -- my heart goes out to you. It was a good show, but it seems that CBS has four new dramas on deck for next season (that we have heard they're announcing tomorrow), so something had to give. It's likely that the choice came down between The Unitand Shark, with The Unit getting the renewal.

As for Christine, I say "Yeah!" I love Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Hamish Linklater (Matthew, her brother on the show) and would have been really upset if CBS let the show get away. If the network had passed on the sitcom, ABC was reportedly very, very interested in taking it on. They had visions of pairing Samantha Who? with Christinefor an all-girl sitcom hour. That's not going to happen now because Julia is staying put on CBS.

Whether the show remains on Monday nights, however, is still to be determined. For the past year, it has mostly shared the 9:30 slot withRules of Engagement, which has also been renewed. Some reporters are suggesting that CBS could be launching a second sitcom night.

 

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