ast season, a promising new crop of genre television shows hit the air, and fans had hopes that there would be something to replace the canceled Farscape and the about-to-end-its-run Buffy. Those hopes were dashed with the death of every single fall and midseason genre show by the end of the season. Every single one. Even the sudden fan bases around Birds of Prey, Firefly and John Doe couldn't save them.
As we move on to the 2003 season, no one can blame us for being a little jaded. Producers regularly ask the sci-fi audience to embrace their shows, yet there's little consideration shown to fans as to how these shows will end, and the almighty cliffhanger ensures we'll never know what happened to the likes of John Doe or John Crichton (Farscape).
Only producer Joss Whedon, who has a true respect for fans and a total love for his material, has been able to use the sheer strength of his tenacity and will to overcome death-defying odds and give Firefly another chance at life in the movies. But Whedon is a rare bird in Hollywood, where many producers change their projects as often as their socks.
So why should we put our faith in yet another season of new shows? The truth is, we shouldn't—especially with any series on ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox. Even syndication appears to have vanished as a viable market for new scripted drama. Shows lucky enough to land on The WB, UPN and cable do have a better shot at survival. What this means is that it's less about the quality of a series than it is about what network the show happens to end up on. CBS's Joan of Arcadia and Fox's Tru Calling will have challenges that go beyond just making sure they have good characters and tell compelling stories.
The most successful network at continuing to produce at least one good new show a year is The WB (Tarzan). UPN also continues to know where its bread is buttered (Enterprise), with the only drama of any kind in the offering being Jake 2.0. Of course, it's up against Angel, but at least it's getting support from the network.
The other bright spot is cable, which continues to offer unique fare that couldn't make it anyplace else. Most notably, HBO's Carnivàle is loaded with potential to be the next big genre show for fans. Better yet, according to executive producer Ronald D. Moore, the network is thrilled with the series so far and has turned producers loose to tell the stories they want to tell. Cable series also are usually allowed to complete their run, and it's highly doubtful Carnivàle will be canceled before the end of its 12-episode season.
A new development in television storytelling is the Cartoon Network's new micro-mini animated series Star Wars: Clone Wars, which promises to pick up where Attack of the Clones left off, with 20 two- to three-minute episodes. It's an interesting experiment that should give the network a higher profile for the couple weeks the series will run, while at the same time spurring interest in the upcoming Star Wars: Episode III movie. We'll have to wait and see whether the tiny episodes will annoy viewers or fascinate them.
So, while fans have every right to be disappointed with networks and producers who toy with our
television viewing affections, there are a couple of bright spots this year despite the short list of new shows. Beyond that, there are some exciting things to look forward to in the future (like midseason offerings Battlestar Galactica and Kingdom Hospital). If there's one thing we know for sure, it's that SF television doesn't just happen in fall. It happens all year long.
Check next week's Fall SF TV Preview: Part II to find out the scoop on all the returning shows,
midseason replacements, movies and miniseries.
1-800-MISSING
Lifetime, Sunday, 10 p.m. Premiered Aug. 2
Jess Mastriani (Caterina Scorsone) has a gift. After being struck by lightning, she suddenly gains the power to dream clues about where missing people are. It doesn't take long for the FBI to realize that Jess' gift might just be a big asset to its investigations. Experienced agent Brooke Haslett (Gloria Reuben) is assigned to work with Jess to see if she really does have useful psychic abilities.
As the two women begin to work together, neither one is happy with the turn of events. Jess is suddenly thrust into a world of violence because of psychic powers she doesn't understand, and Brooke feels she's been saddled with a psychic just to keep her from pursuing a case. Eventually, the two women begin to come to terms, Jess because she knows lives are at stake and Brooke because she begins to believe in Jess' ability. And the FBI begins to believe, too. It decides to set up a task force around Jess, with Brooke at the helm and evidence support officer Sunny Estrada (Justina Machado) providing support.
The Outlook:1-800-MISSING has gotten a jump on the rest of the field, which was a smart move for Lifetime. So far, the ratings have looked good for this series, which draws exactly the type of demographics in which the network is interested. While it's still uncertain whether the show's run will be extended from the 13-episode order, my crystal ball shows a bright future for this series. Creatively, 1-800-MISSING hasn't quite lived up to the promise of the pilot. The character of Jess was funny and sweet. Unfortunately, a lot of her humor has vanished in recent episodes as the writers heat up her angst over her job situation. The character of Brooke has always been too stern, and it would be nice to see both characters loosen up a bit. Yes, it's a world of serial killers and evildoers, but let's hope the writers don't make it standard operating procedure for Jess to screw up and end up in trouble and Brooke to chastise her. The character of Sunny is indeed sunny, but the series hasn't quite found its rhythm yet. Overall, the quality of the stories are good, and with a little more work 1-800-MISSING could go the distance for Lifetime.
It's the 1930s in the Dust Bowl, a time of sandstorms, drought and pestilence. It's also a time when people still believe in miracles and magic. The final conflict between good and evil is about to take place between two unlikely souls. A mysterious fugitive named Ben (Nick Stahl) joins a traveling carnival. The man who will eventually cross his path is a charismatic evangelist named Brother Justin (Clancy Brown). While neither man will think of himself as good or evil, both are about to discover they have special powers that will change things forever. Into this world comes a colorful cast of characters, from Samson (Michael J. Anderson) to snake charmer Ruthie (Adrienne Barbeau) to mentalist Lodz (Patrick Bauchau) to bearded lady Lila (Debra Christofferson).
The Outlook: The buzz on this big, lush production is hotter than any of the network shows. Executive producers Ronald D. Moore and Dan Knauf promise they are going to take their time to tell the story. To that end, don't look for Brother Justin and Ben to meet up until the end of the 12-episode season. It's interesting that taking time with a story would seem like such a fresh idea these days. This is a show that would never have been made on one of the networks, and even if it had squeaked by to get an episode on the air for a week or two, it would have gotten canceled. However, on HBO this series looks like a good fit. It's the kind of storytelling that
wouldn't work anywhere else, and who doesn't like watching an involving story without the interruption of commercials? Look for Carnivàle to do well on the cable channel.
Still, fans beware. This series looks to have big buckets of mythology generously spread throughout. That's always a good thing and a bad thing. Good because mythology makes a series
involving, can't-miss entertainment. Bad because even if the producers have an ending, it might get canceled before they can film it. Regardless, I'm a sucker for a show with good mythology, and with recent losses (Buffy, Farscape) we certainly can use another good series that has stories that take more than an episode to tell.
Jake Foley (Christopher Gorham) works for the NSA. While his mission is important, Jake isn't a spy. Nope, he's a computer repairman, and he does a fine job of keeping the sensitive NSA computers up and running. However, what Jake really wants is to become a real NSA agent and do real spy stuff. It seems like Jake's life will never change until one fateful moment when he finds himself in the middle of a shootout between NSA guards and a traitorous scientist who's trying to
steal information. During the fight, Jake is accidentally infected with nanites and, at first, no
one realizes he's been exposed.
However, after a night's sleep, Jake wakes up to find he suddenly has amazing super powers. He's stronger, can hear better and can see better. He can even remotely control computers. A scientist at the NSA figures out that Jake has been exposed to the experimental nanites, and they bring him in. He discovers that the nanites have spread throughout his body, making him stronger, better. But while the nanites have improved him, they also may kill him at some point. When Jake discovers that the NSA plans to lock him up and throw away the key, he escapes. Unfortunately, bad guys know about Jake, too, and his longtime crush Sarah (Marina Black) is kidnapped. Now it's up to Jake and the NSA to save her. To do it, Jake will have to use every super power at his disposal and find the superhero within.
The Outlook:Jake 2.0 gets the top UPN drama, Enterprise, as a lead-in. Jake is the only new drama to make the cut this year, and UPN has put a lot of faith in this little show. Christopher Gorham (Odyssey 5) does a fine job as the insecure Jake. He may have the soul of a spy with cool super powers, but he has the coordination of a computer nerd. This is a very promising show that has the right mix of humor, action and drama, and Gorham makes Jake 2.0 more than just another superhero show by coming across as a sweet, funny, real guy.
Creatively, this show wants to be The Six Million Dollar Spider-Man, and the potential is there. As far as its place on the schedule, Jake 2.0 is up against Angel on The WB and West Wing on NBC. It's heavy competition that Twilight Zone couldn't crack last year. However, Jake 2.0 has a better chance of building a regular audience than the anthology show, and the early premiere date should help give the show a chance. I guess if we haven't all gotten Tivo by now, it's about time, considering that the networks like to program genre shows opposite each other every year. Look for Jake to survive if UPN shows at least a little faith in it and gives it a bit of time to find its audience.
Joan of Arcadia
CBS, Fridays, 8 p.m. Premieres Sept. 26
God's probably never had this much of a starring role on television before. Sure, the Almighty has been around in the past (Touched by an Angel, Highway to Heaven), but this time God actually has lines. Ordinary teenager Joan (Amber Tamblyn) is just trying to live her normal angst-ridden life after moving to a new city, when she notices a cute boy seems to be following her. When he introduces himself as God, she's more than a little confused. He tells her he's going to ask her to do some things for him and that he'll appear as different people to her. He wants her to get a job at the local bookstore, but Joan doesn't follow his instructions right away. Before she knows it, the lunch lady is asking her why she hasn't gotten the job yet. Meanwhile, Joan's family is having its own issues. Dad is police chief Will Girardi (Joe Mantegna), and he may have a serial killer on the loose. Older brother Kevin (Jason Ritter) is wheelchair-bound after a car accident, and Mom Helen (Mary Steenburgen) is upset that Kevin hasn't started moving on with his life. And her 15-year-old science geek brother is just trying to hang in there. Joan
does go out and talks her way into the bookstore job, only to discover there that unexpected results affect others in ways she could never have imagined.
The Outlook: Fridays at 8 p.m. is called The Death Slot when it comes to programming. Just think about how many successful shows have launched from that position that have gone on to live a nice healthy life. And yes, that was the timeslot that killed Firefly (or nearly killed it, now that it's been revived as a movie). So, can Joan of Arcadia make it in this unforgiving timeslot? I don't think so. The short pilot actually looks pretty good. Tamblyn, who plays Joan, seems real and does a good job of carrying most of the show. Joe Mantegna, one of my favorite actors, is just great. The story is cleverly written and doesn't have the heavy-handed
feel of a show like Touched by an Angel. But judging by the 30 minutes I saw of Joan of
Arcadia, it's not strong enough out of the box to draw the audience it will need to survive. It does have JAG airing in the 9 p.m. slot, which may help to some extent. But Joan of Arcadia has an uphill battle in its future.
Tarzan
The WB, Sundays, 9 p.m. Premieres Oct. 5
This revisionist version of the Tarzan legend takes the apeman to a different kind of
jungle. After young John Clayton's parents die in a plane crash, he grows up among apes in the African jungle. Years later, his billionaire uncle, Richard Clayton (Mitch Pileggi), finds him and returns him to New York City. Clayton is CEO of the Greystoke Industries, but even he can't contain Tarzan (Travis Fimmel) for very long.
On the run, Tarzan encounters NYPD detective Jane Porter (Sarah Wayne Callies) and saves her life. He is captured by his uncle's men again, but Jane manages to find him. Clayton tells her he's trying to rehabilitate his nephew, and Jane believes him at first. Upon seeing Jane, Tarzan quickly makes his escape again and seeks her out. She's drawn to him, and she begins to understand that there's more going on than Clayton is telling her. However, there's another man in Jane's life. The guy she should be with is hotshot detective Michael Foster (Johnny Messner). While logically she knows Michael is the right man for her, Jane's instinct is pulling her toward Tarzan. Into the mix come Tarzan's aunt and Richard's estranged sister, Katherine Clayton. As the series continues, while Tarzan and Jane dance through the romantic minefield, Katherine will find herself battling Richard for Tarzan's soul and control over Greystoke Industries.
The Outlook:Tarzan is surprising in the way Smallville was, but with a more adult bent. It's romantic and funny and has plenty of action. Newcomer Fimmel and stage actress Callies are much too pretty, but they also come across as real people and are perfect for their roles. The WB has a way of finding fresh young actors and getting terrific performances out of them. This series looks very rich, and Tarzan's fighting style is something I haven't seen before. It adds up to a surprisingly good beginning for this series.
Beyond the show's quality, Tarzan couldn't have a better timeslot. With Charmed as a lead-in, Tarzan has the best chance of any new genre show of making it through the season. It should hold the largely female Charmed audience, and I expect it to be The WB's big hit this season. While there's plenty of competition in the 9 p.m. slot, including Alias, The WB has managed to carve out a nice niche for itself on Sunday nights. Look for Tarzan to become the king of the television jungle this season.
Tru Calling
Fox, Thursdays, 8 p.m. Premieres Oct. 30
When she was a child, Tru's mother was murdered. At the funeral, she heard her mother's voice. Ten years later, Tru's father, sister and brother barely acknowledge each other's existence. Her family can't even manage to show up for her college graduation. The next day, her medical internship falls through, and Tru (Eliza Dushku) finds herself working the midnight shift in the New York City morgue. The first night, Tru hears another voice from beyond when a murder victim begs for her help. Suddenly, Tru finds herself reliving the day before. She loses the internship again and gets the job at the morgue again. But the woman who begged for her help hasn't died yet. Racing to beat time, Tru determines to find out who the woman was and to help her if she can. Along the way, she manages to deal with some family issues as well. Uncertain of how or why she is able to turn back the clock, Tru finds herself with a new unexpected job that may well help her save more lives than she ever could have as a doctor.
The Outlook: Facing the heaviest competition on television (Friends, Survivor), Tru Calling's future looks bleak. It's a pretty good show, if a little too heavy on the drama. And Dushku is an appealing actress who gives depth to this role, as she did with Faith in Buffy. However, by the time viewers are divvied up between Survivor and the last season of Friends, there just aren't many people left to watch anything else. Dushku fans have already started building Web sites and creating a fan base for Tru Calling. I hope the series can make it. I just don't have a lot of faith that it will.
Unexplained Mysteries
Syndicated Premieres the week of Sept. 15
The producers of Unexplained Mysteries consider the show a "reality series featuring
paranormal investigations." Taking archived footage from Sightings and every paranormal library available, the producers of the series have combined the old footage with fresh interviews and any new information they've been able to dig up. According to executive producer Bradley Anderson, "A lot of it is the traditional reality paranormal fare, but in Unexplained Mysteries I just had so much material to work with that I've been able to tell the stories better." Episode titles include "When Ghosts Attack" and "The Abduction Phenomena."
The Outlook: Using terms like "reality series" and titles like "When Ghosts Attack" bring to mind the worst television has to offer. However, it should be extremely cheap to make, because most of the footage has been shot and there's a built-in audience of interested people. With the longevity of shows like In Search Of and Sightings, this new paranormal "reality series" is a good bet for syndication.
Based on the classic comic by Osamu Tezuka 50 years ago and the 1963 anime series, Astro Boy is back with 26 all new episodes. Astro Boy lives in a retro-futuristic city that is populated by humans and robots. He is the first robot with an advanced intelligence and humanlike emotions. With a strong sense of justice, super powers, and a desire to defend humanity, it's Astro Boy to the rescue when evil forces are at work.
Boobah, PBS Kids, Premieres 2004
This British import draws upon the concepts of science, math and art, combining them with "televisual magic" to create an interactive new show for preschoolers ages 3 to 6 that promotes creative thinking and movement. The Boohbahs are five magical atoms of power, light and fun that travel around the world in their Boohball.
Clifford's Puppy DaysPBS Kids, Premiered Sept. 1
Before he was "the biggest dog that ever was," Clifford was a puppy. A prequel to Clifford the Big Red Dog, the new series will find the little red pup's huge heart and good humor win him friends wherever he goes. Puppy Days will offer "Clifford's Ideas to Grow On." The series is voiced by Lara Jill Miller, Grey DeLisle, Masiela Lusha and Henry Winkler.
Connie the Cow,Noggin, Premieres Sept. 8, 1 p.m. ET
Connie the Cow finally has come to America. Written by educators, each episode has two interactive games and three stories. Connie lives on a farm with her mother, her father, Patch the puppy, Wally the bird, and Grouch the fox. The series uses Connie's world to teach kids about the different types of animals, while using the games to help them learn to describe what they see.
Cubix, Fox Box, Premiered Sept. 6 and airs Saturdays
4Kids' first original animated series follows the adventures of whiz-kid Connor and his supercharged robot Cubix. In the futuristic city of Bubble Town, where nearly half the population are robots, Connor and Cubix find themselves battling the town's wacky mad scientist, Dr. K. Fielding endless threats from the evil scientist, Cubix must use his phenomenal super powers to save the day.
Dragonball GT,Cartoon Network, Premieres in November on Toonami
Long ago, a race know as the Tuffles realized that they were about to be destroyed by the Saiyan army. They placed the soul of one Tuffle into a seed and then cast it into outer space. When Dr. Myuu, a brilliant but power-hungry machine mutant, discovers the seed many years later, he decides to create the most powerful machine mutant in the galaxy. But when Baby escapes Dr. Myuu's lab, the powerful machine mutant goes to Earth to find the most powerful fighter on the planet, Vegeta.
D'Myna Leagues,Kids WB! and syndication, Premiered Sept. 6
Promising the first cartoon about baseball, D'Myna Leagues will spoof everything from movies to sports agents to self-help gurus and is aimed at both kids and adults. Ballplayer Ebbet Myna leads his team on wacky adventures, while the corrupt league commissioner, Radcliffe, plots to keep Myna from winning.
FatherhoodNick at Nite, Premieres January 2004
Nick at Nite's first animated series comes from funnyman Bill Cosby. In Fatherhood, which is based on Cosby's book of the same name, Blair Underwood will voice the role of high school teacher Dr. Bindlebeep, a loving husband and father of three. Cosby will executive produce with Charles Kipps and David Brokaw.
Funky Cops,Fox Box, Premiered Sept. 6
It's back to the '70s with two cop brothers who are stars at a San Francisco disco when they're not doing "the hustle" to catch the bad guys. Modeled after the cop shows of the '70s, the adventures of Ace and Jack take them to disco and beyond. Smooth Ace heads a Jackson Five-type band, while Jack is the Dirty Harry type. This Best New Animated Series award winner from the "Cartoon on the Bay" international animation conference was created by brothers Christophe and Benoit Di Sabatino.
Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks,PBS Kids, Premiered Sept. 7
This 3-D CGI-animated series follows the adventures of plucky eight-year-old pig named Piggley and his friends Dannan the Duck and Ferny the Bull on a farm in Ireland. Grandpa Piggley Winks tells stories to his grandkids from his childhood, filled with life lessons. Each episode ends with a four-minute live-action epilogue called "Live and Learn," hosted by soccer great Cobi Jones that will feature children sharing real-life anecdotes. Jakers! is from Mike Young Productions and is set for 26 episodes.
Low Brow,Cartoon Network, Premieres in Dec.
When a giant robot from the future accidentally falls into the hands of Coop, he decides to take it home and retrofit it. He doesn't realize the robot is actually a weapon, and his tinkering makes it even more powerful. Along comes Kiva, the robot's creator, who has been sent to retrieve the robot and bring it back to the future. Unfortunately, Coop's changes cause big problems, and he soon finds himself being trained to save the world from an alien invasion.
RealToons: Tutenstein and Kenny the Shark,Discover Kids on NBC, Premieres Nov. 1
Continuing the Discovery Kids' mission to entertain kids and engage their minds, RealToons offers two new animated series, Tutenstein and Kenny the Shark. In Tutenstein, a 10-year-old Egyptian mummy boy wakes up from the dead to find himself in modern times. The former Pharaoh gets a little help from Luxor, his faithful feline protector, and from a 12-year-old girl who just happens to be named Cleo. And Kenny the Shark features the adventures of the title character from the games on the Discovery Kids web site. Both cartoon series are set for a 13-episode run.
Rubbadubbers,Nick Jr., Premiered Sept. 2
This preschool series turns a bathroom into a world of adventure, as the Rubbadubbers use their "bubbly imaginations" finding themselves on incredible journeys that turn ordinary objects into high adventure. A pink frog, a crocodile that doesn't like water and a cowardly shark dive into a world where a soap dish serves as a sailing ship and a sponge becomes a desert island.
SD Gundham,Cartoon Network, Premiered Sept. 1 on Toonami
Humans and robots live and work side by side in the peaceful land of Neotopia until the Dark Axis, evil invaders from another dimension, set out to conquer the land. The best chance to defeat the invaders is the secret Gundam Force, led by Capt. Gundam. The Force, which is made up of different Gundams with unique abilities, takes on the Dark Axis.
Shaman King,Fox Box, Premiered Sept. 6
This Japanese anime series, based on Hiroyuki Takei's graphic novels, takes place in a world where spirits and ghosts interact with humans. Yoh is a high-school student and modern-day shaman. By teaming up with a samurai warrior spirit named Amidamaru, they travel together, battling evil spirits and misguided shamans. Their quest is to become the next Shaman King, and each conflict brings them closer to the grand tournament, which happens once every 500 years to name the next Shaman King.
Star Wars: Clone Wars,Cartoon Network, Premieres Nov. 7
This new micro-mini series from the Cartoon Network and Lucasfilm will pick up right where the film Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones ended. Each short-short will be only two or three minutes long and will continue the story of the Jedi Knights as they lead the Republic's Clone Army against lots of evil baddies. The 20-episode series is truly a "mini" series, and it will air over a two-week period from Monday through Friday at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Sonic X,Fox Box, Premiered Sept. 6
Sonic The Hedgehog leaps from his starring role in SEGA's video games into his own animated series. Sonic suddenly finds himself on an odd planet inhabited by humans, after being accidentally transported by Chaos Control. He teams up with his new friend, Christopher, and together they find themselves on a quest for the Chaos Emeralds, stones that will give the power to conquer the world to whoever possesses them. Their archenemy is Dr. Eggman, an evil robotics authority, who has his own plans for world domination.
Who Wants to be a Superhero?,The WB, Premieres in 2004
Let's call it the ultimate reality series. Comic-book genius Stan Lee and Bruce Nash are putting together a game show that will call for the contestants to dress up as original superhero characters of their own creation. Naturally there will be challenges to separate the superheroes from the mere mortals and a panel of celebrity judges to determine the winner. Lee and his creative team hope to create a comic book based on the winning superhero character. Six episodes of the series have been ordered.
Xiaolin Showdown,Kids WB!, Premieres later this year
In what the network calls a "mystical comedy crusade," Xiaolin Showdown follows the adventures of Omi, a gifted monk-in-training, and three fellow trainees as they travel around the world to seek out and protect ancient power objects. Along their journey, they will face evil boy genius Jack Spicer and his team of supervillains as they compete for the objects in extreme Xiaolin Showdowns.
Don't miss Part II of our 2003 Fall SF TV Preview, which will cover returning shows like Angel and Smallville and more, in next week's issue. See you then!
ast season, a promising new crop of genre television shows hit the air, and fans had hopes that there would be something to replace the canceled 
