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The fall TV season that wasn't
The concept of "fall TV" used to be a hallmark of television -- a time when the networks would roll of their newest, most exciting shows. But now, it hardly exists, except for the broadcast networks. And this year, hardly anything is landing...unless it's a reboot or revival.
By Michael Schneider • • 4m ListenIf the fall TV season feels rather "blah" to you, you're not alone. Cable outlets have long given up on the idea of fall TV -- HBO, for example, ran their biggest hit, Game of Thrones, over the summer. Broadcast networks still try to save their big hits for fall in an attempt to draw in advertisers, but thus far, audiences aren't finding a ton they love, and ratings continue to slide downwards. Viewers did turn out to sample The Good Doctor on ABC, which that networks has since ordered a full season of. Viewers also checked out Seth MacFarlane's The Orville on Fox, though weirdly, that show feels more Star Trek than Star Trek: Discovery does. There are some bright spots, however. There was an almost immediate season renewal for Young Sheldon on CBS -- a prequel to The Big Bang Theory. NBC topped that with a two-season promise to Will & Grace before the first "new" episode even aired. The return of that show did very well, as did Curb Your Enthusiasm, now back on HBO. Perhaps with things so chaotic in the real world, it feels good to embrace some familiar faces on television.