'Grey's' Isn't Going Anywhere
The Will They/Won't They WILL Continue!
CBS greenlights three new dramas for fall
by Allison Waldman, posted May 17th 2009 1:18PM
This Wednesday, CBS will make its official announcement for the 2008-09 season, but word has already leaked out that there will be three new drama series in CBS's new schedule. The NCIS spinoff, which I would have nixed, is in there, as well as a Julianna Margulies show called The Good Wife, and an Alex O'Loughlin vehicle set in the medical field and dealing with organ donors called Three Rivers. The latter may not have the sex appeal of Moonlight, but how much you want to bet the O'Loughlin fans will be tuning in?All three of these shows are one-hour dramas, so that means the rumors about Without A Trace, Cold Case and The Unit all being on the bubble were true. Cold Case had a strong finish with a two-parter that performed very well in the ratings, so it could be safe, but the other two are likely to be ending their runs.
Another iffy hour is Eleventh Hour. No word on whether this Jerry Bruckheimer show will get a second season, but the lack of chatter makes me suspect it's not coming back.
The Good Wife casts ER vet Julianna as a lawyer who's forced back to the work when her spouse is convicted and sent the prison. There are big name director/producers attached to The Good Wife, brothers Ridley and Tony Scott (Bladerunner and Spy Game, respectively), as well as David Zucker (A Walk in the Clouds). Who says clout doesn't matter in Hollywood?
Three Rivers has behind the camera, experienced producers, as well -- Carol Barbee and filmmaker Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential). Barbee's last CBS series were Swingtown and Jericho, two shows with cult followings that failed to find a wide audience. She should be perfectly paired with O'Loughlin, then, because his Moonlight series is stlll being mourned by some fans who never understood why it was canceled.
As for the NCIS spinoff, I'm not surprised by the pickup, but I am hoping that the subsequent series is better than the pilot.
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