Author: Jeanine Poggi / Source: Advertising Age
Let’s get this over with: We blew it last year in predicting that ABC’s reboot of “Roseanne” would flop. But in our defense, the cast’s appearance at last year’s upfronts was incredibly awkward and did the opposite of building confidence in the show’s return.
(So, really, read on!)We empathize with advertisers that must predict a full three months out—and in some cases, a half a year out—which shows to bet on. But that’s how TV works, and while there continues to be fewer and fewer trailers for us to assess during May’s dog-and-pony show, it’s a tradition that prevails. So we’re going to take some educated guesses and predict which crop of next season’s shows will live beyond their freshman run—and which do not stand a chance.
Hits
If the successful revivals of “Will & Grace” on NBC and “Roseanne” on ABC are any indication, CBS should do just fine with its reboots of “Magnum P.I.” and “Murphy Brown.” For the eye network, which has already successfully rebooted shows like “MacGyver” and “Hawaii Five-0,” “Magnum P.I.” fits right in. This time around the title character, Thomas Magnum, originated by Tom Selleck, will be played by Jay Hernandez (“Friday Night Lights,” “Scandal”). It’s pretty standard fair for CBS, but missing one crucial component: Selleck’s mustache.
“Murphy Brown” is sure to get plenty of attention amid the current political climate and the clips teased by CBS promised the show would tap into current events. There were plenty of Trump jabs and it appears to be leaning heavily into the theme of fake news.
Candice Bergen, who plays the title role, applauded the journalists in the room while slamming Fox News hosts like Sean Hannity. “We want to be really timely, that’s why we didn’t film a pilot,” Bergen said. “If we had, we’d already be several major headlines and a dozen Stormys out of date.”Speaking of reboots, The CW will revive “Charmed” next season. It’s a much better choice than this season’s refresh of “Dynasty” (it was renewed but is one of the lowest rated series on broadcast). For one, there’s relatively more awareness of the show, which is about three sisters who are witches. The series will air on Sunday nights, making it the first time The CW is programming the night with originals. But the reboot has already gotten some pushback after The CW described it as a “feminist” reboot, implying the original wasn’t.
The return of “Last Man Standing” on Fox is likely to get plenty of sampling after fans bemoaned its cancellation on ABC last season. The Tim Allen comedy returns to Friday nights in the fall, and its middle-America sensibilities are expected to do well on the heels of hit “Roseanne.”
Similarly, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” which moves from Fox to NBC next season, has a loyal following that should move along with it. NBC had been closely following the comedy, which is produced by its own Universal TV, since it passed on the opportunity to pick it up for the 2013 season, and is certainly looking to keep it around at…
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