It used to be that getting a full season order was the best news a new show could get, but nowadays I think shows are just as happy to get a few additional episodes OK'd.Four new shows have been given the green light for more scripts. Three of them are on ABC: The Nine, Men In Trees, and Help Me, Help You, and one NBC's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (yeee-hah). Of course, this is no guarantee that the shows will be awarded with a full season, but it's certainly a sign of hope (and also cool to see the networks actually getting behind shows that are quality but are struggling).
For those keeping score, the shows that have gotten a full season already are Heroes, Jericho, Shark, Brothers & Sisters, and Ugly Betty.















Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
10-27-2006 @ 1:34PM
A Student said...
That is kind of cool, I'm not a fan of The Nine or of 60, but I like that they're giving them a real shot, and it's obvious a lot of work goes into those shows.
Glad on Jericho, it deserves it I think. First show in a long time that doesn't completely make me angry , most of the characters actually act semi-believably.
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10-28-2006 @ 12:43AM
James Kew said...
Ken Levine has a nice take on this: "On the surface this seems like a vote of confidence. Actually, it's just Lucy teeing up the football one more time for Charlie Brown."
http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2006/10/back-up-scripts.html
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10-27-2006 @ 1:26PM
mike said...
Was that script order or script help for Studio 60?
With NBC looking to save money, this show's bloated budget would seem an ideal place to start.
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10-27-2006 @ 2:53PM
Porchland said...
"Studio 60" has declined by half since its premiere, and the ratings have declined every single week.
Order more scripts?
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10-27-2006 @ 4:28PM
BGDC said...
Quality and Studio 60? Two words concepts that seem mutually exclusive.
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10-27-2006 @ 4:43PM
Doug said...
Glad to hear Men in Trees may continue, it's a cute lite fun show to watch. If NBC wants to save money, Studio 60 is a place to start, put Aaron Sorkin out in dry.
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10-27-2006 @ 5:46PM
Cinesister said...
I hope this is a good sign for Studio 60. Hopefully NBC realises that a relatively small but loyal, smart and culturally influential audience (like 24's was in the first season, and TWW's was too) is sometimes better than a large fickle audience who will jump ship from a show once the novelty wears off (Lost is a good example).
There's plenty of other shows out there if you don't like Studio 60, and maybe there aren't as many people watching it as other shows, but some of us do like it, so leave us to enjoy it and stop attacking it. Every week I read the Studio 60 review and comments and wonder why I bother because it's full of very angry people. If I don't like a show, I skip the review, don't even read it. Why waste the energy being so negative?
The internet has created a generation of critics. Well, it's easy to sit on the couch with a bowl of cheetos and demand to be entertained, then criticise when the entertainment isn't to your taste or apparently high standards. It's not so easy to create something brilliant though. Multiple television channels were invented for a reason. It's called choice. No-one's holding you hostage in your living room and forcing you to watch.
Long live Studio 60, I hope I get to watch those characters for at least the rest of the season. It's great to have Sorkin's style back on TV. I, for one, missed it a great deal.
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10-29-2006 @ 7:00PM
Karen said...
I will be very disappointed if "Studio 60" gets cancelled.
I love the show and the characters. I agree that we really don't need to see the "sketches" so much, I would much rather get into the minds, topic opinions and lives of the people behind the "sketches", rather than the sketches themselves.
I do have a complaint though, Amanda Peet talks so fast, she sometimes comes off as someone who is just memorizing lines instead of "living" them! I do like her character though.
NBC, please don't cancel this show, it has such promise, it has only just begun. The networks forget that we are bombarded with so many new shows and new characters at the beginning of each season and it takes time to decide which shows you want to drop and which you are getting invested in, it doesn't happen overnight!
Of the new shows that I watched or DVR'd from "episode one" I have only dropped one, which is "Heros", but I am not a science fiction fan. I will continue to read about it on this forum and maybe pick it up later, who knows, but it kinda bores me.
I am already invested in "60", "Justice", "The Nine", "Ugly Betty", "Shark" and "Brothers and Sisters." I am sitting on the fence with "Six Degrees". My returning favs are all the "Law and Orders", "Cold Case", "Criminal Minds", "Without A Trace" and "Close To Home". Of course I love some reality type shows such as "Dancing With The Stars", "American Idol" and "Project Runway". I have never gotten into "Survivor" or "Amazing Grace" and am I the only one on the planet that does not watch "Lost" or "Greys Anatomy". I also dropped ER after about 8 years and I have dropped "Desperate Housewives". I am also a documentary junkie, looking forward to "Grey Gardens" on TCM this weekend. I don't have any "Premium channels", I don't have time or DVR space for anymore shows. :-)
I think this season is one of the best seasons in a long time.
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10-31-2006 @ 5:34PM
Jeff said...
I think the Nine is a great show and should be continued for the rest of the season. The cast is awesome. I watch a lot of television (over 25 shows a week) and this show is definitely on my schedule.
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11-03-2006 @ 4:01PM
Joelene Ferguson said...
Please save Men in Trees!!!!! This show is so refreshing and Friday night television definitly needs a boost. My husband and I watch this show every Friday night and for people who are used to living in the city and just moved to a small town - I think there is something in this show we can all relate to.
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11-06-2006 @ 10:37AM
Sherry Sanchez said...
I love "Men in Trees"! It has just the right amount of comedy, drama and sex appeal and is just an all-around great show. I actually look forward to sitting down with my hot cup of cocoa and watching--it's just fun!
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11-03-2006 @ 9:48PM
Frank Riggs said...
"Men In Trees" is one of the most refreshing shows that has come to tv in years. The writting, acting, casting is all superb and does not treat you like an idiot. My wife and I are totaly hooked on this program as well as most of our friends and neighbors. None of us can watch enough of this show. The acting is so great you can't help but believe in the charactors.
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11-04-2006 @ 12:55PM
Gina said...
I love Men in Trees! It's a great show with real characters, which is something that is lacking this season. I would be really disappointed if it gets canceled. It seems like just when you start to like a show, it gets cut. I have to say that I don't think ABC is giving it the chance it deserves. I almost never see commercials on tv for it and when you go to ABC's website, they don't even advertise for it! How are people supposed to know about the show if you don't even make it visible on the homepage on your website?
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11-03-2006 @ 9:47PM
Terry Hill said...
PLEASE!!! DON'T CANCEL "Men in Trees"!!!!! I love it on Friday nights. There are some of us who don't want to watch blood & guts or semi-porn every night of the week. An intellingently written show about men & women is a breath of fresh air. We have GILMORE GIRLS on Tuesdays, but MEN IN TREES is a perfect Friday night hour to which I really look forward.
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11-03-2006 @ 11:58PM
Granny said...
My wife and I love Men in Trees! It's a delightful and refreshing show and makes us feel a little better about losing our all-time favorite (The Book of Daniel). Losing fun shows that we enjoy (there aren't many) is depressing, especially when so many crime-crap shows keep spawning spin-offs. I still miss "Hidden Hills," "The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire" (Randy & Dennis Quaid, etc.), and "Sledge Hammer."
At least we still (sometimes) have "Monk" (lately missing it as it's been opposite MiT) and "Boston Legal."
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11-04-2006 @ 7:00PM
Buzz said...
Men In Trees is great! I'm a 60 year old single guy who thinks most everything on TV stinks. Men In Trees is a well done and very refreshing show. I look forward to watching it.
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11-04-2006 @ 9:13PM
Jane said...
Men in Trees is my favorite show this season. it's fun, funny, and refreshing. Love the characters, the scenery and the town dynamics.
Looking forward to seeing more.
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11-05-2006 @ 12:04AM
Becky Metcalf said...
ABC has to keep Men in Trees! I absolutely love this show. I was actually bummed that it wasn't on last night and that I have to wait until next Friday to see more Jack. He is SO HOT!!! I wasn't a fan of Anne Heche's either until this show. I just love it and my hubby won't admit it, but he just happens to be "resting" in his chair when it's on. LOL I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
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11-06-2006 @ 2:45PM
bryan c said...
Bummed that Men in Trees wasn't on Friday eve, was too tired to even think about going out so now I wish I did...who needs 2 hours of 20/20? (Just seeing it was going to be on for that long made it seem like it would be 40 hrs!) Don't screw up again, ABC, 'cause your getting it right lately (i.e., Ugly Betty, another winner), if you do I'll just switch the channel. After a week of work, I like this light yet touching show (great cast, writing, directing etc!!) which helps me wind down, and yes makes me feel good about the simple pleasures of life! I long to abandon the city and urban sprawl for a quieter life, but since it can't happen for me at this point, this show allows me to escape the sometimes draining reality of everyday life.
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11-06-2006 @ 4:15PM
Valerie said...
Love MEN IN TREES. Hope it stays around for more than a few weeks. Great to watch!
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