Is it too early to report winners and losers from the fall TV season? Not really. Five U.S. network shows have already been canceled: in order, they are NBC’s The Playboy Club, Hank Azaria’s NBC comedy Free Agents (the one I had first in the pool), the dumb CW reality show H8R, CBS’s How to be a Gentleman (there goes Dave Foley’s alimony payments) and, getting the chop Friday, ABC’s cardboard remake of Charlie’s Angels. Sorry, Charlie.
On the other hand, several shows have already received either full season orders, including sitcoms Whitney, New Girl, 2 Broke Girls and Up All Night. The CW is sticking all season with Ringer, The Secret Circle and Hart of Dixie, and ABC just gave full season orders to Revenge, starring Emily VanCamp, and rookie comedy Suburgatory.
There’s good news on the Canadian front with Halifax-produced Haven renewed for a third season on Showcase. In U.S. cable, Boardwalk Empire has been green lit for a third season.
What about the rest of the rookies? There is an old adage that shows tend to find their true level at week four. Sunday, therefore, is a critical one for Pan Am, which opened big but has nosedived in the U.S. and Canada since takeoff.
I take a closer look at retro drama Pan Am‘s performance, as well as New Girl (facing a two week layoff due to Fox baseball playoff coverage), Prime Suspect, Unforgettable and CBC’s struggling Michael Tuesdays & Thursdays, in this feature which appeared in Saturday’s Toronto Star.
