The Good: ABC took a fairly substantial leap of faith with their brand-new Wednesday night comedy block, and as luck would have it, the leap paid off. What could have been an epic disaster of HANK-esque proportions single-handedly transformed ABC’s once troubled Wednesday night into a ratings force to be reckoned with thanks to the success of freshman newcomers THE MIDDLE, MODERN FAMILY and COUGAR TOWN. On the drama front, Shonda Rhimes — when she’s not busy conversing with crazy passionate fans via twitter (Seriously, love ya @shondarhimes) has weathered the not-so-perfect-storm of including: Ellen Pompeo’s real-life pregnancy, T.R. Knight’s exit and Katherine Heigl’s wish to work when it suits her schedule with a very savvy hospital merger, all the while continuing to build on the momentum from PRIVATE PRACTICE’s thrilling season finale. Plus, the Alphabet’s patience in CASTLE seems to have paid dividends, with the Nathan Fillion vehicle continuing to attract a loyal following even without the help of the reality TV juggernaut that is DANCING WITH THE STARS.
The Bad: And while we’re on the subject of DANCING WITH THE STARS, like veteran dramas BROTHERS & SISTERS and DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, the once unbeatable reality TV show is slowly starting to show its age in the form of declining viewership and interest. While high profile, pricey and star-studded newcomers such as EASTWICK, FLASHFORWARD and V failed to live up to expectations in both the ratings and creative department…
The Prognosis: …Which is one of the reason why ABC may have been so anxious to announce that their new legal series from David Hemingson (KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL) entitled THE DEEP END featuring TV Addict favorites Matt Long (JACK & BOBBY) Tina Majorino (VERONICA MARS) will bow earlier than expected, getting FLASHFORWARD’s highly-coveted Thursday at 8PM slot starting this January 21, 2010. While UGLY BETTY (a series which by the way is enjoying its most entertaining season to-date) gets a stay of execution thanks to a January 2010 move that has it escaping its dreaded Friday night time slot for EASTWICK’s now vacant Wednesday at 10PM slot.
The Grade: B+ (Note: ABC was this close to an ‘A’ only to lose credit thanks to HANK. Really people, who thought that show was a good idea?)
Tune in tomorrow when we give FOX their midseason report card.
Related:
• NBC gets its Mid-Season Report Card
• CBS gets its Mid-Season Report Card