The highlights of a November-sweeps press release from Fox:• In all-new episodes of Prison Break, Michael is determined to reunite with Sarah, while Mahone and Kellerman are dead-set on keeping them apart, permanently (on Nov. 6); T-Bag makes the ultimate sacrifice to get his hand on Westmoreland's millions, while Lincoln says goodbye to another loved one (Nov. 13); Bellick makes a stunning confession, as Michael and Lincoln make their run for the border (Nov. 20); and alliances are turned upside-down once again (in the series' Nov. 27 fall finale).• On Nov. 15, in one of three new Bones episodes, Brennan and Hodgins, the Grave Digger's latest victims, are forced to try to solve their own kidnapping from an underground grave.• Sweeps guest stars include Everwood's Chris Pratt (in a multi-episode arc on The O.C., starting Nov. 2); film vet David Morse (in four episodes of House, starting Nov. 7); Arrested Development's Jessica Walter (Happy Hour, Nov. 16); and Jane Sey...
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We may have a winner ? meaning an expedient loser ? in the dubious race to be the fall season's first canceled series. Fox is bumping this week's episode of Happy Hour (trust me, it's an actual show) in favor of a 'Til Death repeat, meaning the sitcom isn't scheduled to return to the airwaves until Nov. 2, following the network's October baseball coverage. A Fox rep, though, insists to Variety that "no shows have been canceled." Similarly but less forebodingly, Fox's Justice has had its Oct. 4, last pre-baseball outing scratched, lest it face off against the season premiere of Lost.
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Here now, the rest of mine own fall forecast:WednesdayThe Nine, ABC: A fun little cast of familiar faces (24's Audrey! Bailey Salinger! The shadowy Prison Break dude!) and a far-out premise make this serialized drama more than worthy of a long hard look. But the crux of the show ? What exactly happened to the nine people involved in a seemingly life-altering 52-hour bank hostage situation? ? could prove frustrating if the mad-cryptic flashbacks are only parceled out mere seconds at a time. Jericho, CBS: As I told the show's publicist, I was loving this pilot, about a small town isolated from the rest of civilization after some sort of nuclear assault on major cities, until the very final scene, which in my opinion rang illogical. Blocking that moment out, however, I'm excited for this series. Justice, Fox: Alias' Spy Daddy (Victor Garber) as the most cunning of cunning, high-priced defense attorneys? I'm so there. Plus, I like the gimmick of showing us, in the coda, what really happ...
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Question: Will The O.C. return to its 8 pm/ET slot? The move to 9 pm/ET last season conflicted with CSI. They are both great shows, and I enjoy watching one then the other, not flipping back and forth and missing things.
Answer: For the moment, and unless Fox changes its mind between now and The O.C.'s Nov. 2 premiere date, the show will still air at 9 pm on Thursdays. (Two new comedies will provide the lead-in, though I'll be amazed if Happy Hour makes it past the baseball hiatus.) In the spirit of public service, let me prepare you for the inevitable. This is almost certainly The O.C.'s last hurrah. Not only will it still be facing CSI, but Grey's Anatomy is going to crush it even further. (Given the competition, and the counterprogramming, I'm wondering if even CW's enjoyable Supernatural will beat it by the time The O.C. finally limps back onto the schedule. ...
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Question: Now that Arrested Development is gone, does Fox have any promising new comedies set for its fall lineup? I read that they have a Brad Garrett show, but that doesn't really feel like the kind of cutting-edge comedy they have attempted for so many years now. Have they finally given up after canceling most of their best comedies too soon, or have the cutting-edge comedies gotten tired of being jerked around by Fox?
Answer: It's true that this season Fox is going more mainstream in its comedy choices. Fox Entertainment chief Peter Liguori says the network did develop a few single-camera (read: cutting-edge) pilots that didn't work out. I think it's a mistake, though, to assume that just because a comedy is done the old-fashioned way (with multiple cameras on a soundstage before a studio audience) it's automatically not as worthy or as funny as a more stylized, filmed piece (à la Arrested Development, Scrubs or My Name Is Earl). Some terrific work can still be done in this format.
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Question: I know it's still summer, but have the networks announced tentative dates for their season premieres?
Answer: As of now, the only network not to announce premiere dates is CBS, which will likely launch most of its new and returning shows the weeks of Sept. 17 and 24.
Here's how the others shape up: The season kicks off early on Fox, with Prison Break and Vanished on Aug. 21; then the limited reality series Duets on Aug. 29; Justice and Bones on Aug. 30; House and Standoff on Sept. 5; the comedies 'Til Death and Happy Hour on Sept 7; Nanny 911 on Sept. 8; Cops and America's Most Wanted on Sept. 9; Fox's animated comedy lineup plus The War at Home on Sept. 10; and MADtv Sept. 16. (The O.C. won't return until after postseason baseball on Nov. 2.)
On ABC, 20/20 officially kicks off Sept. 8; Dancing with the Stars returns Sept. 12 and 13; Wife Swap premieres Sept. 18; Grey's Anatomy and Six Degrees on Sept. 21; Ugly Betty and Men in Trees on Sept. 22; Extreme Makeover: Home
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You're never going to believe what found its way into our little snack bags this morning: chocolate-covered pretzels! Fox, I take back all the bad stuff I said yesterday about 'Til Death. It's the next Yes, Dear!JUSTICE PRESENTATION9:02 am: Here's what you need to know about this new legal drama: Victor Garber and Kerr Smith are lawyers who tackle high-profile cases. And it's not half bad. 9:06 am: The trailer ends, the lights come up and... OMG! Jack Bristow's alive! Sweet Jesus, he's alive!9:09 am: Exec producer Jonathan Shapiro (a onetime federal prosecutor) is giving us a legal dissertation. Is it too late to drop this class?9:14 am: Garber on returning to series television so soon after Alias: "If you talked to me Friday night around midnight I would've said, 'What was I thinking?' The schedule is brutal."9:28 am: I just realized that Kerr Smith has yet to utter a single word. 9:29 am: Upcoming Justice cases will deal with a roller-coaster accident, a celeb rehab center and a ...
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