The LoopThis show made me think. Really. It made me think that if I hadn't moved in with my buddies Dave and Jeremy right after college, I too might have ended up sharing a sweet, spacious apartment with two buxom lasses who parade around in little tank tops and are prone to fits of giggles. And that perhaps I overvalue Dave's and Jeremy's friendship.
But enough about my problems — we're here to talk about The Loop, Fox's latest foray into the magical land of Quirk. Come, come, friends! Into the Quirk! I'm happy to say that last night's premiere exceeded my expectations — though, to be honest, they weren't sky-high (did you see The War at Home? Yeah.). But The Loop has plenty going for it: It's genuinely funny (a scarce commodity these days), employs
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Kevin James, The King of Queens
This week the networks began meeting with ad-agency execs to talk about what's in development for the 2006-07 season. That means it's time for producers of current shows with less-than-robust ratings to start worrying about getting picked up for next season. Here's what industry insiders are telling the Biz.
ABC: The network's comedies are having a tough year in the ratings, but you can't cancel all of them. Rodney, Hope & Faith, Crumbs and Less than Perfect aren't likely to make the cut. According to Jim, George Lopez and Freddie have a chance of returning. Since ABC has two more hours to program in the fall now that football has moved to NBC, shows that would otherwise be doomed have a chance. We're talking Invasion and Commander in Chief. Their survival depends on the strength of the network's new-program development.
CBS: Another season of The King of Queens depends on whether the n
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March Madness isn't confined to the NCAA's countdown to the Final Four. Nearly every night this month, we've seen the premiere of some new show getting a mid-season test run on network or cable. (Some are shorter than others: ABC's The Evidence is only scheduled for four episodes until Invasion thankfully returns April 19.) Here's a quick look at some of the more notable newcomers and a gauge of their long-term potential. It's worth remembering that ABC didn't introduce Grey's Anatomy until the last week of March a year ago, and we all know how well that turned out.
The Loop Thursdays, 8:30 pm/ET, FoxWhy to watch: To see if Fox can launch a new noncartoon hit comedy.The lowdown: Not qui
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