December 28, 2006
TVGuide recently released their list for Best and Worst television shows of the year. Their choices are relatively solid, as far as these end of the year lists go. As always, and what proves to be the point of these lists, I have some disagreements, and I'm sure anyone with a pulse does also.
TVGuide chooses not to rank their lists, just listing them in random order. I'm so used to the clear-cut rankings made by the modern-day list maker that those of the "in no particular" variety feel chaotic. I need order. Nonetheless, their choices are after the jump, followed by some commentary.
November 7, 2006
Well, so it begins. The carousel is getting started and the under performing television programs are meeting their inevitable fates. I don't totally disagree with anything that either FOX or NBC are doing, but I always question the point of producing shows that any normal guy could see were destined for failure.
Who on earth thought that the Lithgow/Tambor golden years comedy 20 Good Years would succeed? Anyone? Well, no more. 20 Good Years has been given the old boot and will be replaced by, to add insult to injury, a special two-hour edition of The Biggest Loser. Ouch.
Here's the complete rundown of the changes:
September 13, 2006
Fall 2006 New Shows Rank: #23
Gist of the Show:
Two oddly paired, middle-aged best friends (Jeffrey Tambor and John Lithgow) realize that they probably only have 20 Good Years left and vow to live each day like it's their last.
Cast Member Looking To Reclaim Former Glory:
A toss-up between the two leads. Tambor is coming off a great run as the patriarch of the Bluth family in “Arrested Development�, so his dignity is fully intact. So, we'll go with Lithgow, who used to be a well-regarded British thespian, but is now only known to American audiences as the over-the-top villain in “Cliffhanger� and as the insufferable alien on “3rd Rock From the Sun.�
Similar in Theme to:
A bizzaro version of “Thelma & Louise�.
Time Slot Competition:
Dancing With the Stars, America's Next Top Model, Bones
Likelihood of Second Season:
.00001%
Final Word:
The buzz on this comedy is horrendous, most critics agreeing that it's one of the worst two or three new shows of the season. The previews of 20 Good Years on NBC are painfully unfunny and I'd be surprised if it made it through a couple of episodes.
-Oscar Dahl
<< Return to 2006 Fall Preview: New Shows 11-23
August 30, 2006
Mismatched friends John Mason and Jeffrey Pyne are about as different as the come; John is an impulsive surgeon whose been divorced three times and Jeffrey is a widower judge who overthinks everything. The one thing the pair does agree on is that they only have "20 good years" left to live -- so both men vow to live each day as if it's their last, with nary a regret.