Ghost Whisperer, Law & Order, Smallville, Dollhouse, Medium & Numb3rs are all returning tonight… and then we have the premiere of a FOX comedy with a retired football player?

Friday hasn’t been this popular for television since ABC was in its hay-day with TGIF and Boy Meets World (Feeny!). With seven hours of new and returning programming stuffed into a three hour block, you’re either going to have to make some tough decisions on what to watch, or be a DVR master.

Let’s take a look at tonight’s lineup.

What’s New?

8:00 PM

FOX - Brothers: “Pilot/House Rules & Anniversary”
(one hour special)

Mike Trainor seemingly has it all – he’s a good-looking, wealthy and recently retired NFL player living the high life in New York City. With one phone call from his mom, Adele, Mike’s life changes in an instant. He comes home to Houston to find that his brother Chill, whose life changed drastically after a car accident left him in a wheelchair, is struggling to keep his restaurant afloat and that his father’s memory is not as sharp as it used to be. When Adele reveals everyone’s secrets, the family decides it’s time for a fresh start.

Later, Mike’s date spends the night at his parents’ place propelling his mom, Adele, to set specific house rules for her very grown sons. As all the family members try to find their way living together again as adults, Mike and Chill are taken aback at their new assigned daily chores and strict limitations on overnight guests. Meanwhile, Coach forgets his and Adele’s anniversary and lands in the doghouse, forcing him to come up with a creative way to make it up to her.

I’m not really putting much faith in this show lasting the season. I don’t care if you were a fan of Michael Strahan on the Giants, there’s no way you can tell me this show looks great. The only thing that redeems it, IMHO, is Daryl Mitchell being part of the cast, but even then, he can’t hold the entire show on his own. If you’re interested in this, watch it now because I suspect it might be gone soon. Oh yeah… and thanks for the wonderful lead-in you’re giving Dollhouse, FOX.

What’s Returning?

If you’re not tempted by the former Giants’ comedy series on FOX, it’s a good thing the other networks have stepped up and premiered all your favorite Friday night primetime shows at once.

8:00 PM

CBS – Ghost Whisperer: “Birthday Presence”

Melinda gives birth to a baby boy who also has the gift of seeing spirits, but with one important difference which will have far-reaching consequences.

After Jay Mohr left this show to start his own sitcom, I’ve fallen behind in the whole Ghost Whisperer mythology. The fact that they believed Jamie Kennedy could replace Jay Mohr was ridiculous and now that Kennedy and Love Hewitt are dating, it means he’s not going to be gone any time soon. ‘Til that happens, I’ll take a pass.

NBC – Law & Order: “Memo from the Dark Side”

The body of a young war veteran is found in a parking garage and the murder is connected to a law professor who used to work for the Department of Justice.

For some reason, I’ve never been a fan of Law & Order. I don’t know why, I enjoy CSI and all the other procedurals. I guess back in the day when it was Law & Order or NYPD Blue, I was a Blue-man.

The CW – Smallville: “Savior”

Clark (Tom Welling) tells Jor-El he’s ready to start his training, but Jor-El sends him back to Metropolis to cut ties with Lois before he can begin. Chloe (Allison Mack) is shocked when Lois (Erica Durance) suddenly reappears after having been missing for weeks, but Lois has no recollection of vanishing into thin air with the Legion ring.

While investigating a monorail crash, Lois meets John Corben (guest star Brian Austin Green), a new reporter at The Daily Planet, with a negative attitude toward the Red-Blue Blur. Chloe begs Clark to use the Legion ring to go back in time to save Jimmy, but he refuses, driving a wedge into their friendship. Meanwhile, Oliver (Justin Hartley) continues down a dark road, and Zod (Callum Blue) arrives at the Luthor mansion.

Oh, I’m very excited for this. While I don’t enjoy Smallville as much as Supernatural, I’m still caught up in it. Even with Michael Rosenbaum leaving the show I’ve stayed a fan because I love Green Arrow and find his portrayal on the show extremely entertaining. Mix in Brian Austin Green guest staring and the addition of Callum Blue (Dead Like Me, Secret Diary of A Call Girl) to the cast and you have me sold. Keep an eye out later for a full write up and discussion of tonight’s episode. If interested, you can check out a sneak peek at tonight’s episode.

(pg. 2 for the 9pm & 10pm slots)

• Friday Night Ratings: Dollhouse & Smallville
• Smallville Season 9 Trailer [Updated]
• Might Smallville Make It To Season 10?
• Meet Smallville’s Speedy
• Smallville Ratings Are Improving: Best In A Year
• TV News & Notes: 2009 Fall Schedule, The Office & More

This is the weekly TV update coming at you yet again.  Today I chat about how Numbers has survived on Friday nights, I share my suspicions on what will happen with Chuck on NBC and I celebrate a bit about Fringe on Fox.

I’ll also touch on how the new Wolverine movie has already had its TV rights secured while I tell you about a couple of upcoming Sci-Fi Channel marathons, and then I’ll close with some depressing inclinations about Dollhouse and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.  At the very bottom, past my ratings chart, I actually make a suggestion about an episode of Criminal Minds that I suggest hunting down to watch.  (Yes, I make a recommendation.)

Let’s get on with it, shall we?

Numbers Survives On Fridays

Even though the viewing audience does not like programmable personalities, they sure do seem to like Numbers on CBS because it keeps trudging along despite airing on Fridays.

The show is about solving the crime of the week using mathematical calculations and you wouldn’t think a concept like that would jive with viewers who slurp up reality TV.  Heck, it’s a great surprise to me that Numbers has survived this long.

In reaching it’s 100th episode milestone, CBS is leaving the show in its present Friday night time-slot because it has a loyal following and they don’t want to upset the applecart.  FOX…  helloooooo?  Applecart?  Dollhouse?  Oh, Nevermind.

Source: Variety

Did I Hear Someone Asking About Chuck On NBC?

Chuck got 25% of the votes from an E Online survey about rescuing shows and there’s a lot going on right now to help Chuck survive.  But I have a bad feeling something is amiss.

Maybe it’s my natural distrust of the system but I think we’ve seen an interesting and probably honest mistake by the keepers of the web over on NBC. Check out the screen captures below of the Chuck website.

If you look real close that the middle of the right side, there’s the next on block…  here, let me zoom in for you:

Yes… it said at one point SERIES FINALE for Chuck.

The wording has since been changed but is this a taste of things to come?  Was NBC referring to the last episode of Chuck because that’s their intent and they’re just placating the fans by not making any decisions right away?  Or was that just an honest mistake?

The sharp guys over on TV by The Numbers thinks it was a screw up.  Color me suspicious, but I think the non-messages are adding up, hate it as I may to say that.

If Chuck does come back it will probably be on a different night because it looks like they will be pairing up Heroes with the new comedy, Parenthood.  Crickets…  What an odd combination of shows.  Which one are they trying to kill off?

Come on NBC, surprise me and renew Chuck!

Sources:  TV By The Numbers, THR Feed, EW

Fringe Gets Renewed

Didn’t I say last week that Fringe will probably be renewed? Fringe has been the number one performing (scripted) drama of the season for Fox and they’ve ordered a full 22 episodes for season 2.  After what Sci-Fi did to Battlestar Galactica, I’m always nervous to reference 22 episodes as a whole season.  Thanks Sci-Fi!  (No, I’m not bitter.)

Also – Keep your eyes out for Leonard Nimoy in the May 12th season finale of Fringe.

Side note:  Is that a Slusho in Walter’s hand?  Yes… and if you look carefully at any of J.J. Abrams other shows, you’ll see it pop up in the most surprising moments.  (I think I might do a report on that unnatural phenomenon.  What do you think?)

Source:  Sci Fi Wire

FX Network Is Getting Aggressive And Has Bucks To Spend

The TV guy gets to talk about movies for a change.  Cool!

Even though X-Men Origins: Wolverine has only been out for less than a week, FX smells a good thing when they see one and went on a spending spree.

The FX cable network has bought the network rights to broadcast Wolverine.  In fact, this isn’t the only movie they’ve snagged up.  In a massively expensive deal they’ve also acquired the network rights to Taken, Marley and Me, The Wrestler, the wonderfully stoic (read: boring) remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still, Bride Wars, 12 Rounds and Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.

This is a big package deal and it can only be seen as an investment.

These latest acquisitions can be added to the network rights they’ve previously acquired for Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Baby Mama, Iron Man, Tropic Thunder, Hancock and DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda.

DVR, meet FX.  FX, meet my DVR.

Source: Variety

Family Guy Spin-off, Cleveland:  Already Renewed! (Weird)

If you order a show and it does well enough in the ratings, you order a 2nd season.  Right?  Well, in my world that’s how it’s done but what do I know?  (You don’t have to answer that.)

Fox ordered this spinoff from Family Guy called Cleveland.  The folks at Fox have gotten so excited about the show that they’ve already ordered a 2nd season… and it has yet to even premiere.  Yep, you read that right.  It hasn’t even aired yet.

First it was a 13 episode order, then they ordered more, making it a 22 episode order.  Then they got even more excited and ordered more, making it a 35 episode order.

From the looks of things Fox is locking up it’s animated talent so they don’t drift off to other network.  Or, the guys at Fox just have  a ton of faith in Seth MacFarlane at this point.

Cleveland is the product of Seth MacFarlane, Rich Appel and Mike Henry with MacFarlane and Henry also doing some of the voice talent for the show.

Source:  The Hollywood Reporter

Sci-Fi Channel Marathons

Over on the Sci-Fi Channel, we have a couple of all-day marathons coming at us.

If you’ve gotten this far in the article, and you’re a Star Trek fan, the Sci-Fi Channel is having a Star Trek marathon on Friday, May 8th.  It’s Star Trek: Enterprise, but at the end of the day, Star Trek: First Contact will air.  I’m guessing they’re trying to capitalize on the opening day hype of J.J. Abrams Star Trek.

If there are any Eureka fans in the crowd here, there will be a Eureka marathon on May 10th.

Source:  The Sci Fi Channel

Dollhouse and Sarah Connor

Dollhouse may have a faithful following, but the ratings aren’t reflecting that there are enough of the faithful tuning in.  Last weeks episode drew it’s worse estimated overnight ratings to date, with a 1.9 / 3 share.  (Huh?  I like using millions because it’s much easier to digest without having to consult my higher reasoning.  A rating point represents approximately 1 million viewers.  The share # is the % of TV’s that were turned on and tuned into the program.  I know it’s not hard, but I like the big numbers.)

The Sarah Connor Chronicles has an even stronger following than Dollhouse and yet Fox is silent about their plans on the show.

Over on E Online they had a “save the show” kind of poll and after all was said and done, TSCC had 53% of the vote.  It sounds impressive but that only accounts for 150k+ potential viewers.  That’s not millions, so I’m guessing Fox or the advertisers probably don’t care.

Josh Friendman, the show runner, hasn’t even heard from Fox so he’s in the dark as much as we are.

Sources:  Airlock Alpha, E Online

TV Ratings from April 27th to May 3rd

The Ratings for the last week had it’s usual ups and downs while Fox held on to the top spots with American Idol.  I have to say, if Adam doesn’t win this season, the voting process needs to change big time.  He is a true talent in the scheme of things.

Of the top 5 shows, 2 were scripted dramas.  Go NCIS and The Mentalist!  The Mentalist gained ~ 5 million viewers from the week before and jumped into the 4th slot.

Though 24 is getting better with each week, it oddly slipped from 16th to 22nd but the number of viewers remained the same. 

Fringe dropped 11 spots (dOh!) to 29th while retaining the number of viewers.

NBC’s newest hot show Southland (so they say) dropped 14 spots to 48th while losing 2 million viewers.

The Unusuals continued its downward slide by 9 spots to be 63rd of 90 shows, losing an additional million viewers in the process.

Bruce’s Closing Thought

Did anyone catch the April 29th Criminal Minds episode titled “Big Wheel”, where Alex O’Loughlin guest starred?  I have never seen an actor transform so differently between television roles like Alex did for this one.  In fact I watched the episode and it wasn’t until the teaser opener was done that I recognized his eyes.  And if I didn’t know at some point he was guest starring, I’d never have caught it.  He changed his looks, his voice and mannerisms to the point of being this character.

Aside from O’Loughlin guest starring, for the first time in my life, I felt truly bad for the murderer.  O’Loughlin pulled this off in a way I never expected and if you are even a partial fan of either the franchise or the actor, TRACK IT DOWN. That’s my recommendation for the week.

After seeing that, I truly am looking forward to his new pilot on CBS, a medical drama called Three Rivers.

• Weekly TV Wrap Up – July 30th, 2009
• Weekly TV Wrap Up – April 30th, 2009
• Weekly TV Wrap Up – February 26th, 2009
• TV Renewal And Cancellation Notes To Date
• Weekly TV Wrap Up – May 21st, 2009
• Fox Announces Fall TV Lineup & Squirms On Sarah Connor