Upfronts Week

There are probably plenty of people that don't know what an Upfront presentation is. Basically, it's a week where all the major networks announce their fall schedule, what they've cancelled from the previous year, and what new shows they've added.

It happens in mid-May, just as the previous season is wrapping up. For those that follow entertainment news (that's me), it's always kind of an exciting time. Each day I look forward to the reports, reading about the casualties, and reading the descriptions of the new projects. When I was still working for the newspaper, I actually investigated ways of getting credentialed to attend Upfront week. Call it a dorky pursuit if you will, but I thought it would be thrilling. I actually kind of still think that.

Anyway, this is Upfront week! In case you didn't already know, now you can begin to plan accordingly. Once all the schedules are released (one a day from Sunday to Thursday), I'll add a new post about some of the new shows that look promising. But, to kick off the week, I thought today would be a good time to reflect on a couple shows that were axed that I will miss.

Detroit 1-8-7, ABC
I knew the show was likely a goner based on ratings chatter and the fact it's season finale occurred in March (never a good sign). Still, it was kind of a bummer to see it get the axe. The show followed gritty detectives in Detroit. I wasn't high on it during last year's Upfronts and didn't even originally plan to check it out, but I caught the pilot and was fascinated by the characters and the storytelling style. Sadly, not enough people felt the same.

The Chicago Code, FOX
Apparently you don't want to get put on the schedule at 9 p.m. on Monday nights on FOX. Three shows had that time slot this year — Lonestar, Lie To Me, and The Chicago Code — and all three got cancelled. This one, however, was kind of a surprise to me. I thought the concept was great, the cast was great, and the show was really starting to find its groove. Hopefully there will be some kind of resolution in the final two episodes of the show's brief run....

Human Target, FOX
This show got two partial seasons and never really generated great ratings. Based on a graphic novel, it wasn't the greatest show but I thought this season was better. It had interesting characters and stories, it just never found an audience... or a solid spot on the network schedule.

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