The strike is over. So now what the hell do we do now? So many of us have been out of work, out of money, and tired of giving a shit about this strike. It seems odd that we’ll soon be immersed knee-deep in shows, pilots, movies and awards telecasts. But will Hollywood return to its second golden age, or will we once more be underwhelmed by the massive flood of content that hardly seemed worth striking for to begin with? Well, no one can really say yet, but here’s a few tips to make sure you don’t waste your time once scripted television returns.
Avoid any new show on ABC at all costs. While I used to work for them, I have a hard time justifying anything they’ve made in the past few years, save for their Grateful-Dead-themed nuclear family sitcom “Sons and Daughters.” But that show, like so many others, was pulled well before it had a chance to truly find it’s way. I’m convinced to this day it was so they could rush “Eli Stone” into production. And oh, thank god they did. George Michael and another “John From Cincinnati” plot line? How original! They desperately needed to take a cue from HBO and realize that if the show didn’t work there (on a network that’s no holds barred), it’s not going to work on a dippy family-safe network.
Give NBC a second chance. Sure the days of “Friends,” “Seinfeld,” and “Frasier” are over, but that doesn’t mean they’ll never produce anything worthwhile ever again. I have a funny feeling that even though this network slipped into 4th place over the past 4 years (coincidentally the exact amount of time that I’ve worked in entertainment), it’s due for a major rebound. And what so many people forget is that this network has always been the home for comedy. Remember Must See TV? That’s NBC. And remember “The Cosby Show,” “Cheers,” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air?” They were all on NBC. Clearly they’ve made a few missteps in the past few years, but to this day they still have the strongest comedies on TV, especially when you consider that the alphabet calls “Ugly Betty” and “Desperate Housewives” sitcoms. “Housewives,” by the way, opened with the lead character taking her own life, then becoming the narrator of the show. Maybe it’s just me, but suicide isn’t funny. It’s easy, but it isn’t funny. And yes, that was a “M*A*S*H” joke.
Now that “The Wire” is coming to an end after 7 fantastic seasons, strap yourself in for HBO’s new mini-series “John Adams.” Paul Giamatti will be taking the title role, a perfect fit for him after his mind-blowing performance in “Shoot ‘Em Up,” or what I like to call “the worst movie ever ever made.” Laura Linney has been cast as his wife and she never disappoints. Her work in “The Truman Show” still haunts me to this day. Beyond that, with the tremendous success of their other minis like “Rome,” it becomes easy to justify watching HBO. They spare no expense, and the proof has been consistently in the pudding. Plus, with no more “Sopranos” or ” The Wire” left to watch, this justifies keeping that pricey subscription.
Otherwise, make sure never to watch CBS, don’t vote for the next “American Idol” (as I’m 50% sure they’ll have the contest again next year), and for the love of god- get Seth Meyers out of the “Saturday Night Live” head writer position.
Welcome back, madame Television.
