Last week marked the TV industry’s annual upfronts: each year, advertisers gather in New York to watch presentations given by the major networks that showcase their new shows and lineups in an attempt to garner advertiser money. 
A long-standing institution, this year’s upfronts were notable for a new addition: live blogging. Members of the press tweeted, blogged, and reported the upfronts as they happened, an interesting decision given how open and uncontrollable new media can be.
Will this mean future upfronts will incorporate other means of live participation? Will future upfronts try to court the members of the public following Twitter feeds at home, creating a buzz to doubly entice advertisers? Or are we seeing the beginning of the end for the upfront system as more and more television moves into the realm of new media and networks are able to court people’s dollars directly? Only time will tell, but for now we’ve got an analysis of last week’s events, starting with:
CBS
Still the most watched network in America, CBS shook up its Thursday night lineup, adding new comedies and a J.J. Abrams drama, but otherwise left their current TV formula alone.
Genre it skews toward: Three-camera sitcom. They are taking a gamble with J.J. Abram’s Person of Interest, but the buzz among Abram’s fans make me (and executives) think it’ll be worth it.
The biggest buzz: The addition of Ashton Kutcher to Two and a Half Men. Coming onstage at the upfronts alongside his new co-stars, Kutcher seemed excited to step in, and the executives were equally happy not to mention Charlie Sheen, going so far as to running a video clip show of Two and a Half Men without any footage of the former star.
Final analysis: Even if the Kutcher-ized Two and a Half Men attempt fails (which, to be honest, it probably will -Kutcher hasn’t carried a sitcom audience since That 70s Show), CBS has enough strong returning shows in its lineup to keep the network on top. And its new female buddy comedy, 2 Broke Girls, which has had great results with test audiences in spite of its boundary-pushing female-centric nature, is poised to not only keep CBS’s comedy-watching audience in-tact, but to steal viewers from edgier networks.
*To see the complete CBS lineup, go here.
Person of Interest Preview:
ABC
While CBS has been accused of being hackneyed and old, ABC seems to be actively gunning for that title. Overall, it seems the network is trying to capture an audience through nostalgia by bringing back Charlie’s Angels and showcasing a sitcom with Tim Allen, who plays a manly guy struggling with the fact that it’s “not a man’s world, anymore.” -Yeah, you read that right.
Genre it skews toward: Random. Adding both reality and scripted shows to its repertoire, there doesn’t seem to be any overall trend to the network’s choices –some are period pieces, some are three-camera sitcoms, one is a revenge drama, and another is Charlie’s Angels.
The biggest buzz: A toss-up between Tim Allen’s atrocious sounding Last Man Standing and Jimmy Kimmel’s, who came onstage at the upfronts to brutally bash competing networks. The best barb was when Kimmel commented that he thought Kutcher would do a good job replacing Sheen as, “He did a good job replacing Bruce Willis.”
Final analysis: Eek. ABC is floundering, searching for a break-out hit to brand the network. But I doubt audiences will tune in to the sexist-sounding Last Man Standing or cross-dressing comedy Work It, which even ABC President Paul Lee “jokingly” apologized for. When Kimmel’s name-calling is the highlight of your night, you’re in trouble.
*To see the complete ABC lineup, go here and click to download the full 2011/12 schedule.
Charlie’s Angels Preview:
NBC
Last year’s executive shakeups along with the Comcast buy-out made NBC look like a disaster of a network, and NBC knew it. Chairman Bob Greenblatt promised a return to “broadcasting 101,” and went out of his way to project the image of a network that is on the rebound.
Genre it skews toward: Comedy, comedy, comedy! NBC introduced new sitcoms Whitney, Free Agents, and Up All Night. Starring quirky, well-known actors Hank Azaria (Free Agents) and Christina Applegate (Up All Night), and with Lorne Michaels’ backing for Up All Night, the shows sound like they’ll fit in well with the existing comedy block.
The biggest buzz: Smash, a Broadway drama and pet-project that Greenblatt brought with him from Showtime.
Final Analysis: Airing Free Agents and Up All Night on the same night while still trying to expand NBC’s Thursday night comedy block is a risky move, but understandable. NBC’s comedies are all it has to stand out from the competition, so if audiences take to the new sitcoms the network will have found its niche.
*To see the complete NBC lineup, go here.
Smash Preview:
FOX
Capitalizing on the overwhelming success of Glee, the cast and crew were back this year at the top of the upfronts, a move that deliberately recalls last year’s upfronts, when the cast closed out the night and swept advertisers off their feet.
Genre it skews toward: Reality. Adding Simon Cowell’s X Factor is a smart move –Cowell is already a success thanks to American Idol, and if nothing else, viewers will naturally be drawn to the show’s ability to somehow get Cowell and Abdul back together again as judges.
The biggest buzz: While most thought it would be science fiction drama Terra Nova, Zooey Deschanel’s comedy New Girl sounds delightful and unexpectedly wowed the upfronts audience.
Final Analysis: If X Factor and New Girl do as well as American Idol and Glee, FOX will be set for the broadcasting season, and might even be poised to move up in rankings. Though get ready for Terra Nova to tank –it’s already giving off vibes reminiscent of V and The Event.
*To see the complete FOX lineup, go here.
New Girl Preview:
The CW
This year saw The CW say goodbye to one of its biggest shows, Smallville. Outside of that, the network remains dedicated to its primarily young, female fan base.
Genre it skews toward: It’s all about DRAMA: female-centric with a slight fantasy twinge. The CW is expanding its line of teen-friendly supernatural dramas, and while Ringer sounds interesting, even the best audience reaction will undoubtedly be measured against Buffy’s past success, thanks to Sarah Michelle Gellar’s starring role.
The biggest buzz: A lot of emphasis was placed on Ringer, the new Sarah Michelle Gellar vehicle about a woman on the run from the mob.
Final analysis: There’s no doubt that the network’s new dramas will appeal to its current audience. The CW isn’t looking to expand, but they aren’t losing many popular shows, either, so as long as just one of its new shows stays on air it will have met its goals.
*To see The CW’s complete lineup, go here.
Ringer Preview:
