Fox
Finally, on Thursday Fox brought the lighter-than-air presentations to a close with the week’s most intriguing news: Next season, two of its new dramas — “Fringe,” from J.J. Abrams of “Alias,” and “Dollhouse,” from “Buffy” creator Joss Whedon — will have commercial breaks half as long as typical network shows.
Fox’s Kevin Reilly called this “remote-free TV,” though in reality Fox is probably aiming at one specific group of clickers, those belonging to TiVo owners, who might otherwise be tempted to fast-forward through long stretches of commercials.
The move should please fans of “Dollhouse” and give much-needed work to its writer-producers and Pembroke Hill grads Liz Craft and Sarah Fain.
Also, “24” fans should take note: The show is returning Nov. 23, not in January as it usually does. The episode, being billed as a “prequel” to the seventh season, will be a stand-alone episode. Given the dearth of new fall shows, this bit of stunt programming makes sense. Once again, Jack Bauer will be called in to clean up another mess, but this one was caused by network greed and incompetence.
•“Life on Mars” (ABC): David E. Kelley of “Boston Legal” fame won the rights to remake this fascinating British series, one of the most impressive I’ve seen in recent years. In short, a cop investigating a sinister criminal lord is mysteriously run over by a car and put into a coma. When he comes to, the clock has turned back more than 30 years, and he’s in a parallel world solving crimes the old-fashioned way (pre-DNA) and trying to get back to the present.
•“Stylista” (the CW): Tyra Banks, who singlehandedly seems to be propping up this network, will offer a new reality series to go with her “America’s Next Top Model.” This one will feature contestants competing to be an assistant to a fashion editor at Elle magazine, leading critics to dub this the “Devil Wears Prada” show.
•“Project Gary” (CBS): Jay Mohr and Paula Marshall star as a newly divorced couple with two kids. The comedy, which struck critics as being a lot like other CBS comedies, will be paired with “Old Christine” on a new night of comedy, Wednesdays.
•“Fringe” (Fox): The trailer for this high-concept sci-fi series asked: “What if science could exceed our imagination? What if the unimaginable could become reality?” Since it’s from superproducer J.J. Abrams, this is expected to make a fall splash.
WHAT’S GONE?
Among the shows whose cancellations were announced this week were “Moonlight” and “Cane” (CBS), “Men in Trees” and “Women’s Murder Club” (ABC), “Back to You” (Fox) and “Aliens in America” (the CW).
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