fear itself

Two new summer shows debuted at 10pm last night, one on CBS and one on NBC (ABC had the first game of the Celtics/Lakers battle). And it turns out that more viewers wanted to see people swing than see people scream.

The first episode of the CBS series Swingtown, which depicts various neighbors in the 70s drinking, smoking, exchanging partners, and wearing bad clothes, beat the first episode of the new NBC series Fear Itself, a horror anthology series. Swingtown grabbed 8.6 million viewers while Fear Itself managed to get 5.2 million viewers. For the night, ABC won with the NBA game.

I'm rather embarrassed to say that I completely forgot that either of them was on. My night consisted of watching the Red Sox/Rays game (lots of fights and weirdness) and then reading a book until Letterman came on at 11:35. What did everyone think of either or both of these shows?

(S01E01) NBC is touting this as a 13-episode series, but you have to figure that if the ratings were miraculously high, it'd get a second nod next summer, or even January if it finds blockbuster status. However, they're probably being realistic by banking on it as a nice summer distraction. These days, anthology series just don't get the ratings.

While I talked a little bit about the first three episodes in my early look article, I blasted this episode the most of the three I saw, while my fellow TV Squadder Keith felt that the second episode was weaker than this one. I guess it all comes down to a matter of taste. I still think that plunging neckline right there has a lot to do with why this was chosen as the first episode. The NBC marketing machine can trumpet this installment as one featuring sexy sirens seducing four hapless men. Unfortunately, that description is a little misleading. Sure, Mircea Monroe is voluptuous but I only really counted two seduction scenes, and they both featured Monroe. The rest of the girls were too busy cooking stew and whining about their fate.

• At 8, ABC has the first game of the Celtics/Lakers NBA Finals.
• FOX has a new, two hour So You Think You Can Dance at 8.
• HGTV has a new Designed To Sell at 8, then new episodes of Myles of Style and Divine Design.
• At 8:30, NBC has a new Last Comic Standing, then the premiere of Fear Itself.
• Also at 8:30: Cartoon Network has a new Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack.
• At 9, TV Land has four episodes of I Love Lucy.
• TLC has a new Miami Ink at 10.
• At 10, CBS has the premiere of Swingtown.
• NFLNet has a new NFL Total Access at 10.
• At 10:30, Comedy Central has a new Reno 911.

Check your local TV listings for more.

From The Twilight Zone to Amazing Stories, anthologies have always tried to find a home on television. But where once they were embraced and even lauded, now they struggle to find viewers and usually only eke out a season or so. Last summer brought us Masters of Science Fiction, which itself was a variation on the pay cable Masters of Horror, which proved the more successful of the pair. Horror has always had a special place in our hearts.

And so it is not tremendously surprising that NBC is back in the game, this time with Fear Itself, an hour-long horror anthology. The series premieres Thursday, June 5 at 10pm ET, and I'm going to tell you now to try not to judge it by the first episode. I got a chance to preview the first three episodes, and for me it got better with each installment. Maybe it's a bias against the fairly typical "monster of the week" storytelling that has weakened episodes of such otherwise good shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Smallville and Supernatural.

Hey everyone! This time we've got something a bit different. We have two signed posters from the new horror anthology on NBC, Fear Itself. The posters are signed by episode writers Dan Knauf, Drew McWeeny, Victor Salva, Jonathan Schach and Scott Swan. Fear Itself premieres this Thursday at 10 PM ET on NBC.

To enter, simply leave a comment below before 5:00PM Eastern, Friday, June 6 simply telling us if you're planning to watch the show. As always, we'll randomly choose two winners amongst the eligible entries. Some other details:
Click here for complete Official Rules.

Oh, this has "argument starter" written all over it.

FOX is going to release a "best of" DVD for Buffy, The Vampire Slayer on September 5, titled "Tales of the Hellmouth." It will be a two disc set, and the first disc with contain the episodes "The Pack," "Halloween," "Passion," and "The Wish," while disc two will contain "Helpless," "Fear Itself," "Hush," and "Same Time Same Place."

OK, Keith picked his best episodes a while back. What would you put in this set that's not in here? I'm surprised the singing and dancing ep isn't on here.