ABC's Geri Wang pitches advertisers at the upfront. / ABC
When I interviewed Sopranos creator David Chase back in 2002—before the show’s first season since 9/11—he went on a tear about the theory, then popular among TV executives, that the terror attacks meant that people would want “comfort food” programming. “People are going to want less complexity, people are going to want more simpleminded, escapist fare,” he scoffed. “Like that’s any different than before Sept. 11!”
Chase would have, um, enjoyed the introduction by new ABC programming chief Paul Lee to the network’s upfront schedule presentation to advertisers this year, where he said that, yes, in today’s “trying times,” people would be drawn to escapist, fantastical eye candy.
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That’s what ABC is offering this year, and a lot of it: it may or may not be simpleminded; some may be familiar (Charlie’s Angels) and some less so. But with 13 newbies for fall and midseason (see some clips here), Lee and crew must hope there’s something for everybody.
Before Lee rolled the clips, ABC executives tried spinning their own tale to the assembled advertisers. Like other networks this year, ABC tried to make the case that ads on iPads, computers and other platforms are just as effective as those on TV, citing studies—self-commissioned, of course—in their favor. The implication is that those ads should be just as valuable, an argument that advertisers have resisted, but it’s one that networks will have to make increasingly and fervently.
Later, in what’s become tradition, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel made some less-diplomatic remarks to advertisers. His monologue spread the snark around, hitting competitors: NBC, he said, would be selling its ads on Groupon, while The X-Factor was “the best idea of 2002… it’s like American Idol meets a mirror.” But he targeted his own network often too, needling reality shows like Wipeout and Shark Tank: “You know what somebody should invent on Shark Tank? A show to replace Shark Tank.” And he did what executives pointedly don’t at an upfront: remember the hype of the past: “Remember all those shows we were so excited about last year? We cancelled all of them!”
Well, enough of that–on to the shows that ABC is excited about this year! There’s far too much to assess at length, and we only saw short clips anyway, but some quick, incomplete impressions:
Charlie’s Angels: There’s that familiar escapism Lee was talking about. The clips are long on karate kicking, short on dialogue and the trailer kept the show’s ’70s era line about “three little girls.” Let’s see if female viewers are nostalgic about that one.
Once Upon a Time: And here’s the fantasy. From two Lost writers, this drama follows characters who have lives in our world and the world of fairy tales (complete with evil witches and bearded dwarves). Give it credit for this much; it’s daring to be different (and looks more interesting than NBC’s Grimm):
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Pan Am: ABC’s ’60s airline drama emphasize sex appeal and style, with flight attendants strutting in uniforms like a chorus line. The trailer also compared favorably with NBC’s Playboy Club, but I have to wonder if either has anything like the sophistication of obvious inspiration Mad Men.
Last Man Standing: Tim Allen introduced his whatever-happened-to-men sitcom with a monologue about the difference between men and women (women notice clothes!) that seemed to date farther back than Home Improvement. It’s paired with Man Up (about, Lee said, “emasculated” men) for an it’s depressing-to-be-male theme night:
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Work It: Combining both male humiliation and throwbacks to TV past is this new comedy that’s apparently a remake of Bosom Buddies in all but name. And Tom Hanks. And, at least from the trailer, laughs.
And there was more. So much more. Midseason comedy Apartment 23 looks promising (naive young woman moves in with a con artist, who’s BFF’s with James van der Beek, playing himself, and seducing old fans to the tune of the Dawson’s Creek theme song). Suburgatory is a culture-clash-com about a dad and his teen daughter moving from NYC to the suburbs. And there is a slew of dramas of various levels of soapiness, the most appealing of whose trailers was for Darren Star’s Good Christian Belles, which looks like it might be good snarky fun and alienate the entire South:
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Thirteen new shows, thirteen attempts at strengthening a schedule that could use new hits. Will that be ABC’s lucky number? If not, at least Jimmy Kimmel will have a lot of material next year.