ast season saw plenty of turmoil for speculative fiction
television shows, largely because the big three networks (ABC, NBC and
CBS) got rid of every dramatic SF series on their schedules. They even axed shows with decent ratings, like The Pretender and Now and Again. Only
comedy shows (3rd Rock from the Sun) and the miraculous (Touched by an
Angel) were bulletproof. To top it off, the networks added no new SF shows
this year.
But while the big three were trying to stamp out SF, the smaller three--Fox, WB and UPN--embraced it. WB maintained its healthy selection of SF, and Fox and UPN both added significant SF series to their schedules. Cable and syndication also continue to provide plenty of scope for good SF programming. (See Part 2 of our TV Preview next week for more information on new and upcoming shows.)
Only a handful of series are debuting this fall, largely because the fall TV season isn't what it used to be. On cable, series will often premiere in January, March or June to avoid the fall rush and the competition of network TV. This provides cable channels like Showtime, SCI FI and TNT with an audience
that's tired of reruns and looking for something new. It's proven to be a good strategy. For example, SCI FI saw its ratings
rise dramatically this summer due to its all-original programming.
New series have a bigger challenge
than usual this fall because premiere season is pushed back a month due to the
Olympics. Normally that
wouldn't be a problem. But with presidential elections set for
November, October's airings are sure to face plenty of interruptions for news and
debates. Some new shows may not get a decent showing until December,
but by then Christmas will be on the horizon and viewers will be hard-pressed to find
time for regular TV viewing until January. For a brand-new show, that much interruption could be deadly. For a returning show hovering on
the edge--Roswell, for example, has only 13 episodes to make its case--it's a dangerous situation.
The big network news has to do with UPN, which looked to be in big
trouble when News Corp. acquired Chris-Craft Industries in a $5.4 billion
deal. Chris-Craft Industries owns several key stations that UPN relies on. There had been speculation that UPN might fold. However, News Corp.
chairman Rupert Murdoch seems to be backing a deal that will keep the
Viacom-owned UPN intact, at least for now. If UPN were to fold early next
year, it is contractually bound to alert station affiliates by Oct. 15.
If the worst were to happen, many of its shows might be able to find homes
elsewhere. The clock is ticking. Most likely, UPN will be able to continue its schedule through the end of this season.
Our annual TV Preview is split into two parts this year. Canceled
shows, plus returning and continuing shows, are here in Part 1. Next week, Part 2 will cover all the new shows; midseason and beyond; and movies, miniseries and specials.
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Syndicated (End of run)
Honey, I Shrunk The Kids, Disney
Now and Again, CBS
The Others, NBC
The Outer Limits, Showtime (Past six seasons in syndication on
SCI FI, which is considering producing new episodes)
Peter Benchley's Amazon, Syndicated
Poltergeist: The Legacy, SCI FI (End of run)
PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal, Syndicated (Past four
seasons were picked up for syndication by TNT, which is considering new TV
movies or possibly reviving the series)
The Pretender, NBC (Past four seasons are running on TNT in
syndication, which is considering producing two new TV movies)
3rd Rock from the Sun
NBC, Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. Premieres Oct. 24
As the show enters its sixth season, Dick (John Lithgow) will still be reeling from the news that Big Giant Head (William Shatner) is his father.
That would be enough to make anyone reel. This season, Tommy (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) goes to college, Dick finally asks the big question (but not of Mary), and Tommy's replacement will slap Sally (Kristen Johnston) with a sexual harassment suit.
Prediction: Yes, this show is still funny, but the bloom is off the rose. While Lithgow continues to be nominated for Best Actor, the Emmys just aren't as taken with 3rd Rock as they used to be. After all, how long can an outrageous comedy stay outrageous? The cast strives to make it all work, but it can't go on forever and it's competing with Buffy and the funny Titus. Look for 3rd Rock to finish out the season, then take a bow and head off into the sunset.
Angel
WB, Tuesday, 9:00 p.m. Premieres Sept. 26
Angel (David Boreanaz) discovered he's "the one" last season. No, not like Buffy's (Sarah Michelle Gellar) the one, but more like he's the one vampire with a soul who's going to do something really important to save humanity. And if he does it right, he may even get to be human again. In the meantime, before all the humanity-saving stuff happens, homeless vampire killer Charles Gunn (J. August Richards) will join the cast and eccentric millionaire David Nabbit (David Herman) will show up occasionally. Angel's going to have trouble with women this year as vampire Darla comes back from the dust, and other women from Angel's past return to torment him, including policewoman Kate (Elisabeth Rohm), slayer Faith (Eliza Dushku) and the mad vampire Drusilla (Juliet Landau). Because Angel's apartment was blown up last season, he'll return to a place he lived in the '50s, and a karaoke bar will offer a connection to The Powers That Be.
Prediction: A rare event happened last season when Angel actually overtook Buffy in the ratings. It's unusual for a spinoff to do better than the original, especially a newbie. The two shows proved to be terrific companions, as creator Joss Whedon used frequent crossovers to tie the shows together. While Angel may never reach the depth and exceptional quality Buffy has realized, it's a solid show that finally began to come into its own at the end of last season, complete with developing its own mythology. Angel, Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) and Wesley (Alexis Denisof) came together as a team. Gunn should add dimension to the group as well. The only real threat to Angel is James Cameron's new series, Dark Angel. If Dark Angel starts to hurt Angel, look for WB to move the show before killing it. However, that seems unlikely, as Angel's staked out its territory, and Whedon won't give up his prime spot after Buffy without a fight.
BeastMaster
Syndicated Premieres the week of Oct. 1
In last spring's season finale, Dar (Daniel Goddard) lost his beloved Kyra (Natalie Jackson Mendoza) to a hatchet meant for him. In the second season, Dar will have to move on as the focus of the show shifts to saving the animal kingdom from an advancing civilization. Dar will find himself at odds with the Nords, a powerful new race that will bring metal weapons and advanced fighting techniques into his world. His brainy sidekick, Tao (Jackson Raine), will be of more help as the two face several new recurring characters, including a backward-aging Boy King (David Paterson), a demon that disguises itself as a beautiful woman (played by Sam Healy and Danielle Spencer), and a mysterious warrior named Arina (Marjean Holden), whom Dar finds attractive.
Prediction: Last season, BeastMaster ended up as the top-rated new syndicated action series. It has also become a big hit around the world. The show will make it through the year with no problem.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
WB, Tuesday, 8:00 p.m. Premieres Sept. 26
With Adam and the Initiative out of the way, Buffy and the Scooby gang can get down to some serious slaying. In Buffy's fifth season, changes are afoot. Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) will acquire a mysterious sister named Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg), but Dawn's origins won't be explained for a few episodes. Anya (Emma Caulfield) will become a regular on the show. Xander (Nicholas Brendon) will find a career, Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) will take over the magic shop, Willow (Alyson Hannigan) will continue to develop her powers, and Spike (James Marsters) will be around to be, well, Spike. Tara's (Amber Benson) secret will be revealed, and Drusilla and Faith will drop by. In the season premiere, Buffy and Xander fall under the spell of the ultimate vampire, Dracula.
Prediction: Even non-genre critics are calling Buffy one of the top five best shows on the tube. While the Initiative and Adam were probably Buffy's weakest villains yet, the series remains strong, imaginative and consistent, with a compelling mythology at its core. No other show on TV takes the kind of chances Buffy takes. All the characters grew this year as they became adults. Willow and Tara's romance was handled gently and respectfully, as was Willow's breakup with Oz. Gay and interracial issues were handled with such wonderful subtleness that it's difficult to remember that, not long ago, these issues rocked viewers' and advertisers' worlds. The only real gripe is that Xander didn't get much screen time last season. As Buffy approaches its 100th episode (during this year's season finale), it's showing none of the signs of a series near the end of its run. Buffy will make it to the end of the year comfortably, and if it maintains its quality, look for a sixth season.
Charmed
WB, Thursday, 9:00 p.m. Premieres Oct. 5
Last season, in the process of stopping an apocalypse, the Charmed ones discovered that an organized evil has been at the root of much of their troubles. In the third season, Piper's (Holly Marie Combs) romance with Leo (Brian Krause) will take a surprising turn, Prue (Shannen Doherty) will fall for someone during a trip to the 17th century, and a new guy will come to town. Julian McMahon joins the cast as a soldier of fortune who is posing as an assistant district attorney. The assistant DA will have a thing for Phoebe (Alyssa Milano). Barenaked Ladies will perform for the season premiere.
Prediction:Charmed has continued to be one of the WB's top-rated shows in the toughest time slot available. The imaginative writing has allowed the series to take off in many interesting directions, but at the heart of the show are strong performances by Doherty, Combs and Milano as sisters who'd do anything for each other.
Charmed has proved itself and will see the end of the season.
Cleopatra 2525
Syndicated Premieres the week of Oct. 1
In this high-flying action series set 500 years in the future, it's up to three scantily clad women to save what's left of the Earth. In the second season, the gals face a psychopathic mind controller named Raina and a mutant named Creegan, and Hel (Gina Torres) gets infected with a brain-sucking parasite. Bummer. Let's hope Cleopatra (Jennifer Sky) stops all that annoying screaming.
Prediction: The big news is that Studios USA Domestic Television stopped production on Cleopatra 2525 for a "production hiatus," according to Variety.Cleo was half of the Back2Back Action hour. The other half, Jack of All Trades, is still in production. The studio said it is considering different forms for the show. However, the show's 160 crew members have been informed their services will no longer be needed after Sept. 21. The studio also says they have enough new episodes to run through December. It looks like Cleo will be history by the end of the year.
Crossing Over with John Edward
SCI FI, Sunday-Thursday, 11:00 p.m.
Presently running
He talks to dead people. This oddly addictive hybrid is kind of like Sally Jessy meets The Sixth Sense. John Edward is a medium who chats with members of a studio audience to give them messages from their departed loved ones. In the middle of each show, Edward holds a one-on-one session with someone the producers have chosen. There's no doubt the show is done on the cheap. Still, Edward could make even a skeptical Scully believe in ghosts with his on-target messages.
Prediction: While this might seem like a strange show for SCI FI, it's pretty smart programming. It runs at a good time, with only the news for competition on most channels. The only problem initially was finding a good companion for this half-hour show. SCI FI is presently running The Twilight Zone, which seems a good match. However, when they have enough episodes in their vault, look for SCI FI to run an original episode of Crossing Over with a previously run episode. Since it first aired, the show's ratings have increased more than 40 percent. In August, SCI FI ordered 65 additional episodes of Crossing Over. So the future looks bright indeed for John Edward.
Got a short film? SCI FI is looking for independent films by students, artists, inventors and multimedia creators. This series provides a showcase for new filmmakers using cutting-edge digital technology and innovative talent. Of course, its showcase nature means there's no consistency--the films are made by individual filmmakers with varying levels of talent, ingenuity and expertise. But that's also the best thing about it.
Prediction: While Exposure has had less than sterling ratings, it's not an expensive program and it gives SCI FI the kind of image the cable channel is looking for--that of an innovator that promotes new talent. A second season of Exposure is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2001.
Farscape is the top-rated original series on SCI FI. Now at the end of its second season, the series is headed for reruns until the end of the year. In January, a four-episode arc will finish off the second season.
Then, in March, fans can look forward to Farscape's third season--22 new episodes. The only well-known mini-spoiler is that anything can happen to anyone at any time and that none of the characters is safe.
Farscape's creator, Rockne O'Bannon, has always been especially tight-lipped about the show's future developments. In a note to fans, he said he was working on the first episodes for season three and "there are events that happen in the final episodes of season two which are making the creation of these season-three stories a very different experience than what we've had before on the series. These last episodes of season two will be airing after the first of the year. All I can say is: be afraid, be very afraid."
Prediction:Farscape is unique, well written and well cast. O'Bannon, with the help of The Jim Henson Co., has created a universe we haven't seen before. Farscape conventions have sprung up, and fan support is reaching Star Trek proportions. While Farscape is the most expensive original series ever made for cable, the money is on the screen with terrific special effects and a universe peopled with spectacular alien creatures. All this has paid off for SCI FI as they set about creating a franchise that isn't going to end anytime soon.
First Wave
SCI FI, Sunday, 10 p.m. Presently running
Cade Foster (Sebastian Spence) continues the good fight against the alien conspiracy. Traci Lords will join the cast as Foster's partner.
Prediction: Presently at the end of its second season, First Wave will begin season three early in 2001. SCI FI originally ordered 66 episodes, enough for three seasons. The ratings have been poor overall, and the show has been relegated to Sunday evenings. It would be nice if this series were easier to like but, despite good performances by Spence and Rob LaBelle, the writing is unimaginative. Look for First Wave to end its run after the third season once SCI FI finishes its commitment.
Futurama
Fox, Sunday, 7:00 p.m. Premieres Nov. 5
Matt Groening has been having lots of fun with the Futurama universe, stamping his unique brand of irreverent humor all over it. For its third season, Futurama will feature more storylines with Bender, the devious robot, and pay homage to 1958's camp flick Queen of Outer Space. This season's guest voices include Hank Azaria as Dr.
Zoidberg's uncle, Bea Arthur as a "fem-puter" who runs an Amazon-like planet, and hip-hop superstar Coolio as a "Kwanzaa-bot."
Prediction: What Groening is not having fun with is the early 7 p.m. time slot. He'd really like Futurama to be paired with The Simpsons in the 8:30 p.m. slot. However, we'll take this wry and funny show any time we can get it. Despite a late start and possible schedule disruptions, look for Futurama to finish out the season with no problem. However, Fox likes to play with its schedule, so Futurama may end up in a different time slot before the season's done.
Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict Syndicated Premieres the week of Oct. 1
In last season's cliffhanger, freedom fighter Lili Marquette (Lisa Howard) was back on Earth about to give birth to a half-human, half-Jaridian baby. The catch was that she needed help of some kind from Da'an ... help that might cost him his life. Lili as an alien love slave a la Lexx? Oh no! Or perhaps this is true love, alien style. In the fourth season opener, the cliffhanger should let us in on Lili's fate. Although they are leaving the cast, Lili will appear in at least one episode, and Augur (Richard Chevolleau) may show up in as many as four episodes this season. Melinda Deines joins the cast as J Street, a brilliant cyberpunk who will no doubt take over for Augur. Also, resistance sympathizer Dr. Julianne Belman (Majel Barrett Roddenberry) will rejoin the cast as a recurring character.
Prediction:Earth: Final Conflict is an inconsistent show that can move from great to terrible even within a single episode. Luckily it's pretty good more often than it's not. The series has been picked up through the end of the season.
The Invisible Man
SCI FI, Friday, 8:00 p.m. Presently running
Once a small-time thief, Darien Fawkes (Vincent Ventresca) now works
for the government after an experiment left him
with the ability to turn himself invisible. But without a special drug
called a counteragent, using his invisibility power will drive him insane. Darien has made an uneasy deal. He plays spy for a government agency and it gives him the counteragent. With his partner Hobbes (Paul Ben-Victor), Darien has been forced to go straight, for now. In an upcoming episode, while trailing an international assassin, Darien is blinded.
Prediction: This entertaining take on the old Invisible
Man tale has proved to be an excellent companion for SCI FI's
Farscape. Together they've given SCI FI a terrific two-hour block on
Friday evenings. Ratings have been excellent, and the series is often right
behind Farscape on the SCI FI charts. The Invisible Man is
fairly lightweight stuff, but Ventresca is likeable as the spy who is a
good guy in spite of himself. While the episodes could be more original,
the cast keeps the material lively and makes it work most of the time.
Darien's banter with Hobbes is especially amusing. SCI FI is certainly not going to
let this series go. The Invisible Man has been picked up for a
second season, which will begin in the first quarter of 2001.
Jack of All Trades
Syndicated Premieres the week of Oct. 1
After many adventures and lots of sexual tension, Jack (Bruce Campbell) and Emilia (Angela Dotchin) head into a second season. They can look forward to meeting a variety of villains, including Leonardo da Vinci's psychopathic great-great-great-great-grandson and Catherine the Great.
Verne Troyer (Mini-Me from Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me) will have a recurring role as Napoleon Bonaparte, Governor Croque's (Stuart Devenie) evil brother.
Prediction: Because it's teamed with the probably-canceled Cleopatra 2525 in the Back2Back Action hour, fans of Jack knew the show was in trouble. They have started a write-in campaign to save it. Bruce Campbell has said that the show is still in production (unlike Cleopatra), with eight episodes left to film. Campbell has also said he will learn whether or not the show gets picked up by Sept. 23. More than likely, Jack will be allowed to complete the remaining episodes--probably enough to keep the show going until the end of the year. But the best guess is not to look for it to go back into production after that. The pairing of a far-future adventure and a historical served neither show. Besides, Bruce Campbell is a talented, talented guy. He could and will do so much better.
La Femme Nikita
USA, Sunday, 10 p.m. Premieres summer 2001
During its fourth season, La Femme Nikita looked a little tired. Sure, it was still edgier than most of the stuff on TV, but the characters seemed weary and cracks appeared in the show's consistency.
When La Femme Nikita was initially canceled, the producers took their time in setting up the big finale over the last several episodes. The penultimate episode looked like it should have been the finale, with Nikita and Michael having escaped from Section One together. But La Femme Nikita has never been a show that offered storybook endings. In the real finale, Nikita and Michael ended up back at Section One, and a surprising revelation was made. Since the show has been reinstated, there's now plenty of room to continue this series along the new path. Hopefully this will add some life to this once-exceptional show.
Prediction: Nikita had been canceled after a contract dispute between USA Networks and Warner Bros. So, despite acceptable ratings, Nikita was seemingly over. The fans wrote in, and USA, which has lately been suffering from Falling Ratings Syndrome, realized that losing Nikita might not be a good thing. So the series has been renewed for an eight-episode fifth season, with most of the cast coming back for at least one episode.
Lexx
SCI FI, Friday, 10 p.m. Premiered Aug. 18
In case anyone hasn't gotten it, Lexx rhymes with sex. The Lexx crew is back for a second season in this imaginative but very poorly executed show. This season, Stan, Xev, Kai, and a living Kai find themselves in a balloon over a fire planet.
Prediction:Lexx broke ratings records during its premiere on SCI FI in January, but the ratings have dropped considerably. Creator Paul Donovan was worried enough about Lexx to ask fans to write in to SCI FI supporting the show. He didn't have to bother. Despite relatively low ratings, SCI FI picked up Lexx for a third season. Let's hope that wasn't at the expense of developing new episodes for a good show, like, say, The Outer Limits.
Anthropology professor Declan Dunn (Adrian Pasdar) believes in miracles.
Psychiatrist Peggy Fowler (Rae Dawn Chong) is skeptical. Let's call this The X-Files after a Happy Meal. Together, Dunn and Fowler investigate mysteries and miracles, trying to explain things that science cannot. Okay, this show doesn't have the edge that The X-Files has when it's working, but Pasdar and Chong are good actors and their characters are well drawn and complex. Beyond the leads, the writing and the production values are excellent.
Prediction: In a dynamic marketing move, NBC premiered this series during the summer on Monday nights with hopes of gathering an audience for the show before moving it to its sister cable station, Pax, for the fall season. The plan worked better than they could have hoped, with Mysterious Ways pulling in very good ratings for NBC's summer schedule and garnering an audience which, at least in part, should follow it to the growing Pax cable channel. Mysterious Ways is a nice fit with their schedule and should do well.
Ripley's Believe It or Not!
TBS, Wednesdays, 8:05 p.m. Premiered Aug. 2
It seems the world has never been able to get enough of the strange and unusual, as envisioned by Robert L. Ripley. Now entering its second season, Ripley's Believe It or Not! will feature stories on a 6-year-old super golfer, the world's tallest man and a two-legged dog named Dominic. It's hosted by Dean Cain (Lois & Clark).
Prediction: Cain is an appealing host and there will never be any worries about this show running out of material. Look for Ripley's to make it through the season.
Relic Hunter
Syndicated Premieres the week of Sept. 18
Last season, anthropology professor Sydney (Tia Carrere) seemed more than happy to globe-trot just about anywhere, hunting for relics just about anyone asked her to find. Well, it kept her martial arts abilities finely tuned. This season, Sydney and her assistant, Nigel (Christien Anholt), will occasionally drag student secretary Claudia (Lindy Booth) on their adventures as they sift tombs and vaults around the world for a cursed African idol, the hypnotic Syrian Chalice of Truth, and Greek mythology's maze of the minotaur. Fred Dryer will do a guest turn as Sydney's father. Look for Nigel to become a bit tougher and several of his relatives to pop up.
Prediction: While never achieving stellar ratings, Relic Hunter has proven to be a steady performer. The appealing cast never takes the lightweight material too seriously, and the scripts are interchangeable, but who cares. It's all very consistent. Relic Hunter will complete the season.
Roswell
WB, Monday, 9:00 p.m. Premieres Oct. 2
At the end of last season, those teenage aliens got more answers about their past than they probably wanted. In a message from Max (Jason Behr) and Isabel's (Katherine Heigl) alien mother, the teens found out that Max was the leader on the alien planet, interloper Tess (Emilie de Ravin) is his young bride, Michael (Brendan Fehr) is his right-hand man and protector, and Isabel is Michael's betrothed. As if all that isn't enough, Mom expects them to come back home so Max can lead the people of his besieged planet. And yes, there is another alien race on Earth that might not be very friendly. This season, there may be some romantic regrouping, and the second race of aliens will show themselves. In the first episode of the season, there will be a major discovery about one of the show's characters and "someone may get killed off," according to creator Jason Katims.
Prediction: Fans mounted a furious write-in campaign, sending Tabasco sauce to WB in support of Roswell. WB waited until the last minute to renew this show, and then only committed to 13 episodes. So its fans can't get too comfortable, because this show could be done for by the end of the year. Luckily, WB moved Roswell to Mondays during the summer, to give viewers a chance to catch up on what happened last season. It was a good move. Another good move includes adding Ronald D. Moore behind the scenes. Moore created much of the Klingon mythology on Star Trek.
Producers hope he will help them build Roswell's alien mythology.
Even more importantly, WB asked producers to get away from the high school stuff and focus on science fiction and action. That was something they started to do at the end of last season to great effect, as they offered a story arc that led up to a great cliffhanger. If the producers can live up to the end of last season and fulfill their promise for this year, look for this well cast, excellently produced show to get picked up for additional episodes and make it to the end of the year.
Sabrina has grown up enough to change networks and head off to college. The show, formerly on ABC, picks up with Sabrina breaking up with her high school boyfriend, Harvey (Nate Richert). Richert and Martin Mull (Mr. Kraft) are out. Sabrina will get three new roommates, including the tough Roxie (Soleil Moon Frye), the offbeat Miles (Trevor Lissauer) and party girl Morgan (Elisa Donovan). Sabrina's aunts stay close as Hilda (Caroline Rhea) becomes Sabrina's boss when she buys the coffee shop and Zelda (Beth Broderick) becomes a teacher at Sabrina's college.
Prediction:Sabrina may be comfortable on Fridays, but it's facing lots of competition and kicking off a new night for the WB. SCI FI's Invisible Man, UPN's Freedom and CBS's The Fugitive will all fight for that 8 p.m. Friday spot. Of those shows, Sabrina has a pretty good chance because it's established and has a fan following. Also, Sabrina is geared toward the teenage girl crowd, which is the audience WB is looking for. Sabrina's fans have been growing up with her through the years. The move to WB will allow Sabrina to tackle more adult material. The best guess is that Sabrina will do well enough to finish out the year. However, if Grosse Point and Popular don't hold their own, even Sabrina might not be able to save the night.
Sciography
SCI FI Presently running
Sciography offers in-depth looks at television shows in a biography style, talking to actors, behind-the-scenes people and the fans themselves.
So far, Battlestar Galactica and Quantum Leap have gone under the microscope. Future episodes of this monthly series will look at Babylon 5, The Twilight Zone, The Bionic Woman and The Incredible Hulk. Other shows Sciography's producers hope to feature include Dark Shadows, Wonder Woman, Fantasy Island, The Six Million Dollar Man, Space: 1999, Lost in Space, The Outer Limits and Star Trek.
Prediction: This is a great way to remember beloved, long-gone television shows and find out a little about what went on behind the scenes.
It's very entertaining to see a show's actors and production people giving the inside scoop. Each Sciography will run for about a month before a new one takes its place. There's no word right now about whether this show will continue, but at least four new episodes are on the schedule.
Seven Days
UPN, Wednesday, 8:00 p.m. Premieres Oct. 11
Seven Days never seems to take anything too seriously, not even the threat of cancellation. Now in its third season, this entertaining mix of science fiction, romance, action, comedy and drama has proven to have surprising staying power. Last season, a time traveler from the far future, Dawes (Lawrence Monoson), failed to kill the doctor who will cure cancer but will also unleash something much worse on the world. This season, look for Dawes to return (okay, he was dead, but maybe he's a very determined time traveler). Kevin Christy will join the cast as a cocky cyberhacker, Andrew "Hooter" Owsley; and Frank Parker (Jonathan LaPaglia) will get even more frustrated in his off-again, never-on-again relationship with Olga (Justina Vail).
Prediction:Seven Days managed to survive another season despite low ratings. Chalk that up to the fact that it's on UPN, which has been having its own problems lately. Whatever the reason, it's good to see that this show will return. Seven Days fans should enjoy it while they can, however, as it's very likely that this will be its last season. It should make it through the entire season ... if UPN does.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World
Syndicated Premieres the week of Oct. 1
Professor Challenger (Peter McCauley) and the gang begin their second season by resolving last season's cliffhanger. One of the cast members does not survive. This season will offer more dinosaurs, more special effects and more skin, as jungle girl Veronica (Jennifer O'Dell) gets a new, smaller outfit.
Prediction: Sure, it's got cool dinosaurs, but otherwise this show is just plain silly. There's more traffic in this "lost world" than in Times Square. It would seem someone who stopped by might think about putting the darn place on a map. It's good to see the show's producers are focusing on the important things that will help Lost World's ratings, namely more dinosaurs and less clothing. Look for Lost World to make it through the season.
So Weird
Disney, Thursday, 5:00 p.m. Presently running
Now in its second season, So Weirds's Fi (Cara DeLizia) has given up her seat on the bus to Annie (Alexz Johnson), who will take over Fi's Web site and her interest in weird stuff. Besides that, Annie has a great voice and will sing with the band. The rest of the cast remains. So Weird has a lot more depth than one would think for a half-hour Disney show that's aimed at kids. The focus of the series is the fantastic, but that focus is never at the expense of the characters.
Prediction: Disney knows its audience. By changing leads to a younger girl, Disney is keeping the audience they were reaching for when the show began. Even though Johnson doesn't have the same presence DeLizia had, she'll grow into it. The cast change should not damage the show. So Weird will keep its audience and finish out the year.
Colonel Jack O'Neill and the SG-1 team explore strange new worlds and continue their fight against the evil Goa'uld.
Prediction: This show is soon to be in rerun land. Look for 12 new episodes to run at the beginning of next year, which will finish out the fourth season. Showtime has also committed to a fifth season, adding another 22 episodes, making a total of 110 episodes for this solidly written and produced series.
Star Trek: Voyager
UPN, Wednesday, 9:00 p.m. Premieres Oct. 4
At the end of last season, Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) looked a whole lot like a Borg. As Voyager rides into its seventh and last season, Janeway butts heads with the Borg queen yet again. As the season continues, something finally happens with Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) and B'Elanna Torres's (Roxann Dawson) romance, and Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) faces the possibility of her own death. Most promising of all, it looks like there's a trip home in Voyager's future. Look for Barclay (Dwight Schultz) and Troi (Marina Sirtis) to pay a visit.
Prediction: Seven is the magic number when talking Trek seasons. As with Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the announcement went out early that this would be the last season for Voyager. Will Voyager make it to films? Who knows, but if the show doesn't, look for some of the cast members to show up either on the next Star Trek series or in the Next Generation films. The good news is that Voyager has an entire season to come up with a great ending, assuming UPN doesn't fold. Also, a new Trek series in the works, set to premiere next season. It's unlikely producers will chain a new series to UPN, so look for the new one to head back to syndication.
Touched by an Angel
CBS, Sunday, 8:00 p.m. Premieres Oct. 8
As Touched by an Angel heads into its seventh season, the show's producers have promised to go "even deeper." Monica (Roma Downey), Tess (Della Reese) and Andrew (John Dye) will deal with tornadoes, fraternity hazing and phone psychics. There will also be an angel reunion, featuring past guest angels.
Prediction: Okay, the demographics aren't very sexy for this old reliable. Touched by an Angel never misses a beat. Its consistently touching stories are sure to tug the heart and jerk that tear. Making it through the year is a given. Viewers with more tears to shed can find reruns of Touched on the Pax cable station.
Tuesday Night at the Movies
UPN, Tuesday, 8:00 p.m. Premieres Oct. 3
Last year's Friday Night at the Movies moves to Tuesdays. UPN has always offered up speculative fiction films, with some originals. Upcoming movies include Code Red: The Rubicon Conspiracy, Execution Live, Border Patrol, Future Swat and Curse of the Talisman. To find out more about these upcoming films, check out the movie section in Part 2 of our Fall TV Preview, next issue.
Prediction: Next to the uncertainty of UPN's status, the biggest problem the Tuesday movie night is going to have will be Buffy, Angel and Dark Angel. Tuesday movie night will probably do about the same as Friday movie night did last year. Will that be good enough for UPN? Who knows?
Twice in a Lifetime
Pax, Wednesday, 8:00 p.m. Premiered August 23
It's the second season for this Touched by an Angel-style show, which caters to the feel-good Pax cable channel audience. Guardian angel Mr. Jones (Gordie Brown) is out and a new angel, played by Paul Popowich, takes over the second-chance duties. Judge Othniel (Al Waxman) will also be on hand to help mere mortals choose the right path. Producers are planning a more realistic, edgier tone.
Prediction:Twice in a Lifetime received terrific ratings last year for Pax. It looks like a match made in heaven for the network that can't get enough miracles and angels.
The War Next Door
USA, Sunday, 9:00 p.m. Premiered July 23
When Kennedy Smith (Linden Ashby) retired from the CIA, he was ready to put his spying days behind him. Unfortunately, his evil archenemy Kriegman (Damian Young), has moved next door to him in order to make Smith's life a living hell. Each week, Smith and Kriegman engage in a battle to the death, only to return the next week to do it all over again.
Prediction: This half-hour comedy sounds like grand satire and it's paired with the quirky Manhattan, AZ. Ratings haven't been available for The War Next Door, so there's no way to predict its future.
Xena: Warrior Princess
Syndicated Premieres the week of Oct. 1
After a 25-year-long nap, Xena (Lucy Lawless) and Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) managed to save Xena's daughter, Eve (Adrienne Wilkinson), from the gods. In doing so last season, they pretty much killed off most of the gods, with a little help from Ares, who relinquished his immortality to save Gabrielle and Eve. He's just that kind of guy. In the sixth season, Eve and Virgil (William Gregory Lee) will be recurring characters. Xena and Gabrielle will go up against Lucifer, travel to North Africa to help out Gabrielle's niece, and join Beowulf in a struggle against Norse gods. Also, it's possible that Joxer's (Ted Raimi) ghost may pop up somewhere along the way.
Prediction: It might seem that the top-rated syndicated action series would have no place to go after tackling motherhood and taking out the Olympian order. However, the writers have never had trouble coming up with creative new problems for Xena and Gabrielle. Xena has kept her edge without missing a step. If Lawless wants another year of Xena, look for the series to make it to that magical seventh season.
The X-Files
Fox, Sunday, 9:00 p.m. Premieres Nov. 5
Lots of important stuff happened in The X-Files' season finale last spring. Krycek
(Nicholas Lea) killed the Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis), Scully
(Gillian Anderson) announced that she was pregnant, and, thank God, Mulder
(David Duchovny) was finally abducted by aliens. As the eighth season opens, Scully will get her
much-publicized new partner, John Doggett (Robert Patrick). Scully will
become the believer (it's about time for that, too), as Doggett plays the
skeptic. The search for Mulder's sister is a thing of the past; however, the search for Mulder should spur Scully on. Duchovny will appear in 11
episodes. In about half of them, he'll stick around for the whole episode. According to
Carter, we'll probably find out the identity of the father of Scully's child early
in the season. And is the Cigarette Smoking Man really dead? Hopefully
we'll find that out, too. Carter also promises less of a focus on comedy,
with more scary episodes and episodes about alien abduction.
Prediction: This creaky old show should have been left to die
peacefully last season when both Carter and Duchovny wanted out. But no.
Fox needed their hit show to return, so they did what they had to do to keep the two key players. In the meantime, The X-Files mythology
has fallen to pieces, caught in a web of inconsistency and often making no
sense at all. While the stand-alone episodes often served up The
X-Files at its best, the conspiracy episodes showed the series at its
worst. There's no way the show will do anything but go the distance. A ninth season, however, is another story. It's doubtful Duchovny will be back, and Anderson's contract is up at the end of this season. Could the series continue with Patrick and yet another new partner? Carter's made noises that he could see the series going past this season, but Anderson's been working on building her movie career. Patrick is a truly talented actor who will give The X-Files a good chance. So let's cross our fingers and pray it works. If it doesn't, let's hope Fox finally lets The X-Files go and that the fans get some sort of conclusion at the end of it all.
Don't miss Part 2 of our Fall SF TV Preview, which will cover new shows like Dark Angel, Andromeda and more, in next week's issue. See you then!
ast season saw plenty of turmoil for speculative fiction
television shows, largely because the big three networks (ABC, NBC and
CBS) got rid of every dramatic SF series on their schedules. They even axed shows with decent ratings, like The Pretender and Now and Again. Only
comedy shows (3rd Rock from the Sun) and the miraculous (Touched by an
Angel) were bulletproof. To top it off, the networks added no new SF shows
this year.
