While a number of shows are falling in the ratings and several others are growing precariously close to the cancellation zone (which is anything from 0 to 10,000,000,000 viewers for Fox) there are others that were predestined to make it not just all the way through their first season, but through a second, and possibly a third before the network gave any kind of serious thought about kicking it to the curb. This year it was Private Practice, next year it'll be House: The Early Years.

Two freshman series, ABC's drama "Private Practice" and CBS' comedy "The Big Bang Theory," received full-season pickups Thursday. ABC and CBS ordered nine additional episodes of each series, bringing the total for "Practice" and "Big Bang" to 22 episodes.

Additionally, CBS ordered nine additional episodes of the military drama "The Unit," which returned for a third season this fall with a 13-episode pickup.

You should understand that full-season pickups may not mean anything if the Writers Guild calls a strike in a couple of weeks. There is no chance that these new series, even ones that got a full season commitment before the first script was written (none actually did but you get the idea) could have enough episodes in the can before November 1st to last the entire season, even with a planned mid-season hiatus.

If anything this is wishful thinking at this point.

<< Previous entry

Next entry >>