It's that time of year again when the nation’s TV critics gather for the winter press tour that unveils the mid-season shows of the networks and cable outlets.
The first TV network on the agenda is also the most troubled one, a malady continuing to plague the NBC TV network, even with new leadership at the helm.
This past summer, Bob Greenblatt arrived at his first conference as the newest NBC Entertainment chairman, telling the assembled scribes that he was “very excited and bullish” about the fall season.
It seemed like just yesterday that “The Playboy Club,” attempting to cash in on the swinging Sixties vibe generated by “Mad Men,” would result in success. Yet, the show was canceled faster than Hugh Hefner’s last engagement to a centerfold model.
So Chairman Greenblatt confessed that his network had “a really bad fall,” and admitted that it was “worse than I’d hoped for.” He must hope his bosses are patient.
In any case, the NBC executive, admitting that developing new shows is “a bit of a crapshoot,” appears to be staking much of his reputation, if not career, on a big musical drama that will premiere the day after NBC televises the Super Bowl.
“Smash” celebrates the beauty and heartbreak of the Broadway theater as it follows a cross-section of dreamers and schemers who all have the common desire of delivering a smash production.
The series centers on the process of creating a Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe, not an entirely far-fetched notion.
Debra Messing stars as a partner in a successful songwriting duo with Christian Borle, while Anjelica Huston jumps on board as a tenacious Broadway producer.
A rivalry soon forms during the audition process for the lead role between youthful, inexperienced Midwestern beauty Karen (Katherine McPhee, “American Idol”) and stage veteran Ivy Bell (Megan Hilty), who’s determined the leave the chorus line for a big break.
“Smash,” though it is executive produced by Steven Spielberg,” looks very much like an insider show that may not have mass appeal. Maybe this is why Greenblatt claimed that it is not “a make-or-break” show for his network.
The verdict on NBC’s mid-season moves may come swiftly with the launch of two new series that are on the verge of a debut as this column is being written.
“The Firm” may have the advantage of being a well-known product, as it is based on John Grisham’s best-selling novel which in turn became a Tom Cruise movie.
Stepping into the Cruise role of attorney Mitch McDeere is Josh Lucas, who picks up the role of the former associate of the Memphis law firm 10 years later.
“The Firm” opens with an intriguing conspiratorial tone, with Mitch running for his life through the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial.
Apparently, after a decade in Witness Protection, Mitch and his family settle in Washington, D.C., where he starts up a law office with Juliette Lewis, the feisty receptionist, and Callum Keith Rennie, playing his volatile older brother, an unorthodox investigator.
The standard-issue plot points that are familiar to any number of other legal dramas may undermine this show. More importantly, for a supposedly brilliant lawyer, Mitch seems too easily outsmarted by another big firm.
Chelsea Handler is a snarky late-night talk show host who has penned a few books, including “Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea.”
This literary endeavor has inspired a new comedy series called “Are You There, Chelsea?,” which stars Laura Prepon in the titular role of a 20-something cocktail waitress, who is opinionated, sexually active and hard-drinking.
Chelsea Handler appears in a recurring role as her own older sister, a born-again Christian named Sloane, married and a new mom who has little in common with her sibling.
“Are You There, Chelsea?” thrives on the humor of the wild party lifestyle and one-night stands, the combination of which may work better for a late-night cable show.
Fans of Chelsea Handler may want to catch this show in the early going before she has to answer “no” to the show’s title question.
Waiting in the wings for a spot on the schedule is an intriguing drama about a detective who discovers he is leading an arduous double life that defies reality.
Following a tragic car accident, detective Michael Britten (Jason Isaacs), starring in “Awake,” finds he’s awake in two separate realities: one where his teen son died in the crash and his wife survived; and another where the outcome is switched.
To regain a semblance of normalcy, the detective returns to solving crimes in both worlds. But then memories of the accident begin to haunt him, and “Awake” will seek to untangle his dual existence.
“Bent” is a romantic comedy about a womanizing, surfer dude contractor and his beautiful, no-nonsense, Type-A client, both of whom become tangled up in a remodeling job that involves more than just a lot of wood and plaster.
On the surface, Alex (Amanda Peet) and Pete (David Walton) could not be more different. Alex hires Pete to do remodeling work that looks to never end with ongoing change orders.
Though Alex is outwardly hostile to Pete, it’s painfully obvious that there is inevitable romance brewing. Contrary to its name, “Bent” is on the straight path to traditional sitcom fate.
“Project Runway” has made its mark on the Lifetime Channel, but NBC wants to channel the same type of designer reality competition in “Fashion Star.”
Maybe the selling point is that “Fashion Star” stars Elle Macpherson as the host, along with celebrity mentors Jessica Simpson, Nicole Richie and John Varvatos.
“Fashion Star” also ups the ante with one designer taking a prize of $6 million in orders for collections in Macy’s, H&M and Saks Fifth Avenue stores.
Let’s see how things go for NBC, but Chairman Greenblatt may want to remind the corporate brass that successful TV programming is indeed a “crapshoot.”
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
