CanWest went cross-border shopping and picked up a slew of new programs for the 2005/06 broadcast season for its channels, Global and CH. The new roster includes 11 dramas such as Fox’s Prison Break; the new Jerry Bruckheimer series E-Ring starring Benjamin Bratt and the thriller Fathom from NBC/Universal. Other new dramas are Head Cases, Reunion, Threshold, The Unit, The Gate and Bones.
Nine new comedies round out CanWest’s pickup list, including Old Christine with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Warner Bros.’ War at Home and Out of Practice, starring Henry Winkler and Stockard Channing from CBS/Paramount. More comedy buys are How I Met Your Mother and My Name is Earl.
‘How I Met Your Mother is about a father telling his kids how he met their mother, though I really don’t see where it’s going from there,’ comments Sherry O’Neil, managing director, broadcast at Toronto-based OMD. O’Neil attended the upfronts in New York. She adds that with the show’s place in the sked (at least in the U.S.), it should do well as it follows King of Queens Mondays at 8:30 p.m. on CBS.
Some who have attended the upfronts are relieved that there are a lot fewer reality offerings than last year, though the more successful ones (such as The Amazing Race and The Apprentice) are returning. Crime dramas are thriving (among them Bones with ex-Angel, David Boreanaz) and with viewers seeming to enjoy the chills brought on by the success of Lost and Medium, the door has opened for more supernatural fare such as Global’s pick, Fathom.
OMD’s O’Neil loved Reunion though ‘it’s a problem with a Thursday 9 p.m. slot. It’s up against CSI and The Apprentice.’ O’Neil says that retail categories love Thursday nights because it catches the audience pre-weekend – though this strategy is not always successful.
Media buyers feel that ad categories are either flat or on the decline. They’re looking for more efficiency as budgets are being stretched and numbers aren’t increasing.
‘There are a lot of the same shows with the same themes like the supernatural or crime dramas,’ says Florence Ng, VP broadcast at Toronto’s ZenithOptimedia. ‘And there are not a lot of people watching so they’re going to need to constantly reinvent themselves.’
Global’s pickups include:
Prison Break: For some reason, a man thinks that getting himself put in prison will help his brother get out. (Fox)
E-Ring: A political drama set inside the Pentagon with counter-culture maven Dennis Hopper and Law & Order straight guy Benjamin Bratt. A Jerry Bruckheimer series. (NBC)
Fathom: A thriller in which disparate people discover seemingly harmless creatures living under the sea. (NBC)
Head Cases: Chris O’Donnell stars as a superstar attorney post-nervous breakdown. (Fox)
Reunion: This drama follows six friends over 20 years, with each ep taking place in a different year. (Fox)
Threshold: Experts deal with extraterrestrials. Features under-appreciated actor Charles S. Dutton (Rock). (CBS)
The Unit: Special agents, including Dennis Haysbert (24), circle the globe on dangerous undercover missions. (CBS – midseason)
The Gate: (working title): Two hard-boiled detectives from San Francisco’s Deviant Crime Unit solve bizarre crimes. (Fox)
Bones: A female forensic anthropologist helps solve crimes with only bare bones to work with. (Fox)
Among the nine new comedy series are:
My Name is Earl: A crook wins the lottery and decides to right the wrongs he’s committed. Getting some negative buzz so far. (NBC)
War at Home: Fun is the name of the game when a couple tries to cope with their obnoxious teens. (Fox)
Out of Practice starring Henry Winkler and Stockard Channing. From the folks behind Frasier (CBS)
Old Christine: Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a happy divorcée whose life get complicated her ex’s new girlfriend (CBS)
How I Met Your Mother: A family man looks back on his single life in this ensemble comedy from the producers of Letterman. (CBS)
