The first session of yesterday's ABC presentation started bright and early at 9 AM with a Q&A with network president Steve McPherson. He was cheekily introduced with a video showing the rehearsals of a "new cast member" of Dancing with the Stars. It turned out to be McPherson, at a scene that looked like it came from either a previous press tour or an upfront presentation. Everyone laughed but me, mainly because I wasn't grizzled enough of a TV veteran to get the inside joke.Anyway, some of the information he gave at the Q&A after the jump.
- The Nine and Day Break were big disappointments, but they wouldn't have done anything differently.
- It's likely that they'll go back to more "procedural" shows next year -- think Grey's Anatomy, not CSI -- because there were just too many serialized shows this year. "How much stuff with that kind of commitment can an audience make? You're asking a lot of an audience," he said.
- The Nine is done shooting, but Six Degrees is not. Though they're still only on the hook for 13 episodes, they took a break to creatively retool. They also added one cast member, which he revealed over lunch to be Josh Charles (Sports Night).
- All 13 episodes of Day Break will be on ABC.com by the end of February.
- When asked about Lost's split season, he responded: "Ideally the way you'd do Lost is 22 straight episodes. We really needed to have that installment in the fall. Coming into next fall there's a good chance we'd run it 22 straight." Little did he know that the creators would drop a bomblet an hour later.
- He spoke about a couple of upcoming series that were introduced at last year's upfronts: October Road and Traveler. Traveler had a serial aspect to it -- two guys are accused of being terrorists and they spend the season clearing their name -- but October Road was more traditional.
- When I asked McPherson if The Nine should have been made as a limited series, his response was typical execuspeak: "I love limited series, but it is an opportunity cost." He cited the cost of actors, directors, development, etc. "I think as we get a strength of schedule there are opportunities where something like The Nine could have a beginning, middle and end."
- He praised Jimmy Kimmel to the hilt and said he'd be part of the network "for a long time."
- When a critic asked somewhat cynically, "Boston Legal - is there an end in sight?" McPherson praised the writing and the storylines, generating a big laugh when he said, "I mean, 'That midget I'm dating is my daughter.' That's good television right there."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-15-2007 @ 11:29AM
Carissa said...
As someone who loved the pilot of Traveler, I hope it takes off in spite of its serial aspect. Did he say anything concrete about it or just mention it in passing?
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1-15-2007 @ 11:30AM
Jimmy said...
You know, Boston Legal gets little credit for being one heck of a good show. Sharp writing, issue-realated storylines, and characters you enjoy seeing every week. Outside of Dancing with the Stars it's the only hit ABC has on Tuesdays and still manages to draw a larger audience than any show that has been its lead-in with the exception of Housewives and Dancing with the Stars.
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1-15-2007 @ 12:22PM
David said...
What a damn bitch!
Boston Legal is a great show and once and awhile makes it to the top 20. It's by no means close to getting canceled. That person is probably a fan of the 40 Law and orders and CSIs.
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1-15-2007 @ 12:46PM
Jeff N. said...
ABC now has reruns on Friday and Saturday. And till Lost comes back on Wednesday that night isn't all that much either. ANC just doesn't have enough shows on the air that are worth a darn. I thought the Nine was a very good show.
Too bad it's rating were so poor.
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1-15-2007 @ 2:20PM
TVSeriesFinale.com said...
It's nice to know viewers will (probably) get to see the rest of Day Break, The Nine and Six Degrees.
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1-15-2007 @ 9:11PM
BartmanDK said...
Yeah Traveler looks great.. cant wait for it to start!!
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1-16-2007 @ 11:11AM
Rolff said...
I really think they should give Daybreak another shot..
The show was well written and action packed...it would have been better to put Daybreak after LOST instead of The Nine and then debuted The Nine after the lost run weas over ....
lineup should have been
LOST 9pm
Daybreak 10pm (build the audience with a like minded show, action and mystery EVERY WEEK)
then
Daybreak 9pm lead in to
The Nine 10pm
Get me a job at ABC now
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