daybreak

ABC has a bit of a problem. Dancing with the Stars is going to end soon, they are down to the final four now, and with that it will lose two of the top five shows on TV. They've announced their plan for Wednesday. Beginning November 22, the results show will be replaced with a new game show from Endemol USA called Show Me The Money. Contestants will be presented with 13 dancers on stage and each of the dancers will have a scroll. As they answer trivia questions, dollar amounts from the scrolls will be added to or subtracted from their total. The press release also says that the 13 dancers will be ready to break into any style of dance at any time, "while audacious master of ceremonies William Shatner spontaneously boogies with the beauties on stage." Shatner... boogies with the beauties.

I've been noticing more and more ads for the new ABC suspense-drama Day Break, which stars Taye Diggs as a cop who begins to experience the same day over and over and over again (a la Groundhog Day) when his girlfriend is murdered. Can he change events enough to save her life? Of course, there's a major, super secret conspiracy involved, as in all of these shows it seems.

Now, there's nothing wrong with a continuing drama per se. If they're good, I'll certainly watch it, and the previews for Daybreak look promising. But you have to question how parrot-like the networks are, wanting to just do anything to duplicate a megahit. Without even thinking that, while Lost is certainly a good show, maybe it was more a matter of timing, time slot, and subject matter than just the quality, that unpredictable mix that catches on. The demise of Vanished and Kidnapped and the so-so ratings of The Nine are not good signs. (And this isn't the only show still to come; the thriller Traveler is coming to ABC in early '07).

Daybreak starts November 15, in the Lost time slot.

When we all decided to post what we'd be watching this fall, I originally thought my list wouldn't be so lengthy. Boy, was I wrong. How the hell am I supposed to keep up with this schedule? I'd better put some cooling fans on my DVRs, because they're going in overtime.

Sunday
Sunday afternoon football, though since I'm a devoted Patriots fan, it's pretty much the only game I'll turn to. Sunday night: Dexter -- I've caught the first three episodes of this show, and it's GOOD. This is going to be a sure hit. I'll also catch Sopranos and Entourage when they come back and will record Family Guy. I may record Desperate Housewives out of curiosity, since I've watched it since day one, but I'm not the one covering it this season.
A surprisingly busy night.

Warm up the DVR, because the beginning of the new fall television season is going to be here sooner than you think. In a trend that has continued for several years now, thanks in part to FOX's schedule of football games and broadcast of baseball's World Series, the fall television season actually begins in late August rather than right after the Emmy Awards (which are being held on August 27th). This year is no exception.

As mentioned back in June, FOX will roll out some its more popular shows this month, starting with the second season of Prison Break starting on August 21st. In fact, out of the 15 shows that will air before the 'official' start of the season on September 18th, 12 of them are on FOX. This includes the season premieres of Bones (August 30th), House (September 5th) and the animated shows The Simpsons, Family Guy and American Dad (September 10th).

Premiere pandemonium arrives in mid-September. Fifty-three series, new and old, will premiere between September 18th until October 5th. The latest series to premiere in the actual fall season will be ABC's Day Break, which will take its bow on November 15th. A complete list of shows and their airdates can be found below (most dates obtained through StarPulse).

Just as Anna, Joel and I wrapped up our previews for most of ABC's new shows for this Fall, a latecomer arrives at the TV Squad offices: Day Break. And while the same rules apply, where we're not really supposed to "review" the episode we were given (hence the "NOT FOR REVIEW" notice with the DVD), there's really nothing stopping us from giving you the preview lowdown.