New fall TV shows hope to win viewers
Kate Ferris
/Columnist
On the evening of September 21, the Elon campus will seem
eerily quiet, with few students in sight.
This eeriness can be attributed to only one thing–in
dorm rooms and apartments everywhere, students will gather
for one of the biggest events of the year: the return of
“Grey’s Anatomy.”
“Grey’s Anatomy,” the surprise hit from
two seasons ago, is one of the most highly anticipated
returning shows, along with “Lost,”
“Desperate Housewives,” “The O.C.”
and “The Office.”
These shows guarantee to be good, but what about all those
new shows coming out? Shows banking on the fact that you saw
their 15-second teaser and are curious as to what those vague
two word titles actually mean.
Each year, the big broadcasters of NBC, ABC, FOX and CBS, as
well as a few others, churn out new shows, hoping just one
will catch the eyes ofviewers and become the next big
hit.
Most of the time they fail.
Occasionally, they find something new, not just a reworked
version of some other big hit, but something new that wins
over audiences everywhere. “Grey’s Anatomy”
is one example.
So what, if anything, will be the breakout hit of
2006?
Here are some possibilities.
NBC has two shows modeled around their popular late night
show, “Saturday Night Live.” One show, “30
Rock,” comes from the mind of Tina Fey, who has loads
of experience with “SNL,” while the other,
“Studio 60,” comes from the creator of
“West Wing,” a once big NBC hit. “Studio
60” has the backing of a very strong cast, including
Matthew Perry, Bradley Whitford, and Amanda Peet, while
“30 Rock” has the backing of
“SNL.”
ABC is hard at work to bring back the sitcom. No sitcom
since “Friends” or “Seinfeld” has
fared well, but ABC is hoping it has found the secret to
sitcom success.
One of ABC’s new sitcoms is “Ugly Betty,”
and if you’ve seen the previews, you may wonder if this
show has a shot. Based off of a popular telenovella,
“Ugly Betty” follows a less than plain girl named
Betty who finds a job at a fashion magazine. It’s
“The Devil Wears Prada” made for
television.
Another ABC attempt at a new hit will follow the success of
“Grey’s Anatomy” on its new night.
“Six Degrees” is ABC’s new drama
that’s based off of the idea that any person in the
world is only six connections away from any other person in
the world. This idea is new, fresh, and may catch for
audiences looking for something different.
These shows are just a fraction of the new offerings this
season holds. What will pass and what will fail? Only time
will tell.
Contact Kate Ferris at pendulum@elon.edu or
278-7247. |
Photos courtesy of MCT Campus
From top to bottom: “Ugly Betty,”
“Lost” and “Desperate Housewives” are
three of ABC’s many attempts to win large
audiences. |
