It's that time of year when the networks start sending out fall pilots to TV critics, as both the programmers and the reviewers start to get set for a new season.
But before looking ahead, let's take one more look back - and see how well your local television editor did previewing the recently concluded 1995-96 season.Just like the networks, I had some hits and misses. And, it may be bragging, but my percentages were a lot higher than theirs.
It wasn't much of a prediction, but forecasting NBC to take over the No. 1 spot in the ratings did turn out correct. Overall, NBC did even better than I expected, ABC did far worse, and CBS did both - far worse in the fall and rather better than anticipated as the year wore on.
I rather facetiously wrote for all of the WB's fall shows that "Not much of anybody is going to watch much of anything on the WB."
It was snotty. But it was also correct.
Here's a look at what I had to say about last fall's freshman class of TV shows - both right and wrong:
Almost Perfect is the show I got most carried away with, calling it "witty, bright, funny and utterly enjoyable." As to writing that "the two leads have chemistry," that was a clear miss - Nancy Travis and the show will return in the fall, but Kevin Kilner is being dumped because of the lack of sparks he produced with Travis.
I called this show "the best new sitcom of the season," but in retrospect that's an honor I'd now hand to Fox's "Partners."
American Gothic is another one that didn't turn out as well as I expected. it was "compelling" and "enthralling" - not to mention "repulsive" - when it began, but it quickly lost steam. Calling this "about the best new show of the season" was far too much praise.
Bless this House was a pretty good show that was a bit risque. What it wasn't was a show that "could well turn into a hit." It was axed at midseason.
Bonnie Hunt, as expected, struggled on Fridays - and then on Sundays and Mondays. It was never quite as good as I'd hoped.
Brotherly Love was described as "pretty good" and "a nice family show," which it was. I was correct in the assessment it "won't be a big hit," but incorrect in guessing that it could attract enough young viewers to survive."
The show bounced around NBC's schedule a bit before being canceled - although it has been picked up by the WB.
Can't Hurry Love might indeed have been "the most blatant `Friends' rip-off." It did turn out to be "flat and not very interesting." And despite raising the possibility that it "might make it hammocked between `The Nanny' and `Murphy Brown,' " it didn't.
Caroline in the City did turn out to be "really rather average." But that Thursday time-slot on NBC did indeed turn the show into a hit.
Central Park West was indeed "not great art," but saying "it could be a pretty good soap opera" was off the mark. Even if CBS showed all the patience I counseled, this wouldn't have worked.
Charlie Grace was indeed as unoriginal as I wrote, and the statement that "it won't be around for long" was also correct.
Courthouse was indeed "little more than rehashed television with a big dose of exploitation." And it did stand "little if any chance of succeeding," getting the ax after eight episodes.
The Client is the show I misjudged most negatively. Although the pilot was a "rehash" that was "slow-paced and dull," the series developed into a fairly good show.
Of course, it then got canceled. But not until the end of the season, meaning I was wrong with a prediction that it "probably won't be around for long."
The Crew got more respect than it deserved by calling it "just OK."
Deadly Games is one in my plus column - it was a concept that "wore thin quickly" and it was "not a hit in the making." It was axed after a couple of months.
Drew Carey turned out somewhat better than I expected. I was pretty positive in the original review, but Carey's stand-up act that hadn't "meshed into a the sitcom format" did better as the season went along. And, as expected, the show was renewed.
Dweebs was indeed "not bad, but nothing to get excited about." And saying that "this won't be around long" was prophetic.
First Time Out was indeed an "awful" show - and I'll stand by the statement that it was the "worst show of the year." It was quickly canceled.
Home Court was inconsistent and a bit too "loud and abrasive." But it surprised me by lasting the entire season before getting axed.
Hudson Street got more respect than it deserved in the season preview. It was "better - and smarter - than you might expect." But that's faint praise for a show with Tony Danza in the lead. A prediction that "it could be a hit" was just wrong - it was canceled.
If Not for You was a "likeable but not very funny" sitcom with potential. That potential never developed into anything before the show bit the dust in a month.
JAG did indeed have a great pilot, and the show did have trouble living up to that pilot. It did not become the success I thought it would on NBC - but, oddly enough, CBS will bring it back as a midseason replacement show sometime next season.
Jeff Foxworthy was never more than fair - as predicted. And it was indeed dumped by ABC.
But who would have thought that NBC would pick the show up for next season?
Kirk star Kirk Cameron does have "a certain appeal" but the show remained "woefully cliched." Rather surprisingly, the WB renewed it for next season.
Live Shot merited that criticism that it was not only "muddled and trite," but also "dumb and offensive." A prediction that it "should be UPN's first cancellation" was close - it was the second.
Maybe This Time was one of my meaner reviews. But I'll stand by calling the writing "insipid" and writing that Marie Osmond "displays no talent as a comedic actress." ABC did cancel it - although the network took far longer to do so than I anticipated.
Minor Adjustments really was "stupid, brainless junk" that was "full of dopey writing and sitcom cliches." NBC dropped it quickly, as predicted.
"Minor" was canceled twice this season. UPN picked it up when NBC dropped it - only to cancel the show once again.
Misery Loves Company was indeed "loud and obnoxious." I tossed the show a bone by writing that "maybe fans of `Married . . . With Children' will watch this." They didn't.
The Monroes did indeed seem on its way to becoming a pretty good soap opera - until ABC abruptly canceled it in October. A prediction that it was "good counter-programming to `Seinfeld' " was just flat-out wrong.
Murder One was "one of the best new shows of the fall" - although not quite as good as expected. And slating it opposite NBC's "ER" was more than a bit "iffy" - it nearly killed the show.
The Naked Truth was a half-right, half-wrong prediction. Tea Leoni was great and it was uneven but sometimes very funny. But despite following "Grace Under Fire," this show didn't live up to a statement that it "almost can't help but be at least a moderate hit." It got dropped.
Ned and Stacey didn't quite turn out as well as I'd hoped. Although it began as a show with "real potential," it became increasingly one-note and dumbed itself down as the year wore on.
This being Fox, of course, the show was renewed for next season.
New York News, perhaps because of my ongoing infatuation with Mary Tyler Moore, got more respect than it deserved. This was a bad show that didn't last for long.
Nowhere Man did indeed have an "intriguing" premiere. But adding "you've got to wonder if the concept will hold up" turned out to be correct. The show never attracted more than a minor cult audience, and was dumped at the end of the season.
Partners featured an assessment that was half right, half wrong. The show was indeed "very clever" and "funny" with "superior" writing and acting. But Fox's plan to establish a sitcom presence on Monday nights, which I predicted "just might work," failed.
Pinky & the Brian was "clever and funny." It also will disappear from prime-time in the fall, appearing only on the WB's daytime schedule.
The Preston Episodes was as lame - if not lamer - than I thought. And it got canceled just about a quickly as I anticipated.
Pursuit of Happiness was "run of the mill stuff" that was never worth watching. A prediction that it "may ride `Frasier's' coattails, but it's more like `Frasier' fans will switch" channels turned out to be correct, leading to a quick cancellation.
Simon featured an assessment that hit the mark - there weren't any "real laughs in this alleged comedy." It's been canceled.
The Single Guy is a show I liked a lot more then than now. It did have "great potential" but a statement that it "could turn out to be a very good show" was flat wrong. It never reached beyond mediocre.
Of course, predicting that "sandwiched between `Friends' and `Seinfeld' this should would have to be dreadful not to be a hit" was on the mark.
Space: Above and Beyond did turn out to have good special effects and weak writing, as anticipated. And Fox did "stick with this show for a while or move it to a different time slot - like maybe Fridays at 7 p.m." But it was all to no avail. The show got the ax.
Strange Luck was certainly "offbeat and intriguing," but it wasn't always "very well done." That inconsistency turned into cancellation.
Too Something featured a half-right forecast that it might appeal to younger viewers but not to anyone else It didn't appeal to much of anybody. Its chances of survival were indeed "slim." Despite a name change to "New York Daze," Fox dumped it.