Weep not for Kevin Reilly, the NBC entertainment chief ousted a few weeks ago, just after unveiling the struggling network’s fall schedule. He’s just landed an equivalent job as entertainment president at Fox, where he’ll be reunited with his former boss Peter Liguori (the two worked together at Fox’s sister cable channel FX, where Reilly helped develop such smart and successful shows as The Shield and Nip/Tuck); Liguori, in turn, is being promoted to Fox entertainment chairman.
Reilly’s new post comes with one big plus and minus: American Idol. On the one hand, AI makes the network all but invulnerable from January through May: on the other hand, the series started to show its age this season, and it doesn’t help Fox much during the other seven months of the year. But Reilly won’t be able to do much with Fox’s fall slate, at least not this year, when the autumn 2007 shows are already bought and paid for. But he can make his impact felt starting in midseason, which is where you come in, PopWatchers.
If I could make one suggestion to Reilly about fixing Fox’s winter shows, it’d be this: 24 needs help, stat! Everyone agrees the 2007 season was a letdown, full of recycled storylines, suspense-free plotting, and characters that went nowhere. Clearly, the show needs a reboot, but some of the ideas that have been floated in recent news articles — an aborted effort to shoot episodes in Africa, a plotline that would have Jack going rogue from CTU — suggest a show that’s flailing in search of a new direction. Hey, here’s a thought that would please fans: how about more Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub, pictured)? Give her something to do besides mope about the men in her life (and the life in her men). Of course, I’m sure you all have even better ideas for how to fix 24 and how to help Fox with the rest of its lineup, so let’s fill Reilly’s suggestion box below.
Comments (1-30) of 48
I can’t get enough of Beuty and the Geek! We watch it as a family, and my daughters want to see smart girls with dumb, shallow jocks.
We moved to where cable isn’t available, and we have Animal Planet, Discovery, Monster Car/House withdrwals. More shows like that, or added added to the Fox line-up would be fantastic!
Mom of 5 – are you serious?
Ugh. Fox examplifies everything that’s wrong at the Big Four. The fact that new shows like “Drive” are launched and then promptly dropped (BTW Drive fans, the new episodes won’t air this Friday either). And the reality shows have got to stop playing to the “Survivor”/”Apprentice” formula (we’ve seen it, enough already). Remember when Fox aired “American High”? These days it seems unlikely that a reality show that bold would ever appear on Fox again.
Looking ahead at Fox’s fall schedule doesn’t do anything to persuade me that daring programming like “The Sheild” will be airing anytime soon.
Fox, take a page from F/X and develop some good programming. Oh, and stick with it for once. Give Judd Apatow another show, bring back The Loop, develop some dramas that are less-racy than the ones that succeed on F/X (but still pack an entertaining punch). Or just air censored versions of the F/X programming. Less reality, please.
Fox, take a page from F/X and develop some good programming. Oh, and stick with it for once. Give Judd Apatow another show, bring back The Loop, develop some dramas that are less-racy than the ones that succeed on F/X (but still pack an entertaining punch). Or just air censored versions of the F/X programming. Less reality, please.
Here’s an idea for Mr. Reilly: No serial shows unless you are committed to provided a satisfying conclusion (it doesn’t have to be a series finale a few years off, but things have to be wrapped up to a degree). It means that they’ll be more selective with serials, rather than throw anything with a continuing storyline on the air. Plus, it would eliminate the reason that people have stopped watching the new serials in the last few years.
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Bring back family-friendly shows like “Brisco County, Jr.”. I know that was years ago but it’s still one of my favorite Fox-cancelled-too-early shows.
This 24 fan would love to see Chloe off the show; she is hard enough to tolerate as it is. That probably won’t happen, so keep her appearances to a minimum. And have Jack outside CTU and allow the show to take place over a week; this would allow Jack to fly to Europe if need be, etc.
As for other ideas, no more reality shows! Try and develop good comedies; I can’t think of a single good one right now.
I’d just like to see one comedy that’s not based around a bad comedian and his unfunny family life.
Have Jack turn as a double agent or at least at odds (with no room to budge) against the US government and have the season be the largest scale manhunt the US has ever seen. At this point, CTU/US govt. has screwed over Jack way too many times that he would be willing to continue to work with the government.
First of all, I am pi$$ed that Drive isn’t going to air Friday night, too. Hey, Reilly, ship it off to F/X and let them do a Saturday or Sunday afternoon marathon. Okay?
Fox doesn’t give quality shows a chance anymore. Becasue all shows don’t bring in American Idol-type ratings, they’re canceled after a few weeks airings, like Drive. Not all of your viewerws are in junior high.
Fox needs to bring back the brilliant shows that it never gave a chance to. Firefly specifically. Now that the DVDS and film have come out, it has built up an even larger fan base, and bringing it back would be a great reward to us loyal browncoats who have been converting our friends.
I think it would be interesting if all of the staff at CTU was replaced, putting Jack and Chloe on the street. Some of the folks who have been thwarted by them over the years decide to come after them for revenge so the tables are turned and J&C become the hunted. The government just turns a blind eye to their predicament so they are on their own.
I like RTA’s idea
Dear Kevin Reilly-
Don’t cancel shows after 3 airings. Got it? You sure? You we’re good to 30 Rock, so I think I can trust you, but let me tell you something. I will be watching you.
Sincerely,
Vicky
P.S.
Take care of Bones for me.
Personally, I think that Tim said everything that I wanted to say: NO MORE REALITY SHOWS and if you’re going to cancel a show before the end of the season, at least let viewers watch the un-aired episodes on F/X instead of letting that channel show X-Men for the 100th time this year.
Also, make an effort to get some good comedies, not just ones with familiar faces. Fox had a great show in Undeclared, but got scared when it didn’t average 10+ million a show. Look where Judd Apatow is now. Good luck getting him to come back to TV.
Abandon sitcoms for good, mass appeal sitcoms get u no critical cred and actually funny/edgier comedies only work on cable because they don’t pull big enough numbers, sitcoms are dead. My advice is be as controversial as standards and practices will allow, start buying up the scripts being offered to FX, Shotime, etc. and throw something in for the urban market that actually has substance not the dreck upn used to peddle
As for 24, i think its kinda ridiculous after one bad season that everyone is in a panic, how many great shows were great every year? i read on critic that said it was time it was canceled are you serious?
STOP CANCELLING EXCELLENT TIM MINNEAR SHOWS!!!!!!
MICHELE FORBES AS PRESIDENT ON “24″.
JUST END “PRISON BREAK” BEFORE IT BECOMES MORE OF A JOKE THAN IT IS NOW.
TRY AN “ORIGINAL” IDEA FOR A SERIALIZED DRAMA THAT DOESN’T INVOLVE TANGLED, NO SENSE, GOVERNMENT CONSPIRICIES.
GIVE CAROLINE DHAVERNAS “WONDERFALLS” ANOTHER CHANCE ON A SHOW.
IF ITS STAR WASN’T ATTACHED TO “REAPER”, BRING BACK “THE LOOP”. THAT WAS A SHOW THAT DERSERVED A BETTER SHOT. THAT CAST ROCKED IT. THE LAST 3 EPISODES THAT AIRED JUST MADE ME MORE ANGRY.
Hey BHM, calm down with the caps lock.
As for 24, how about less CTU and less chloe..more Jack, maybe throw Aaron Pierce into the fire with him. Oh yeah, bring back Tony from the dead
The TV Neilson ratings system needs an overhaul in general. The products being advertised are not the same as ten years ago. They are more expensive and people are willing to buy over and over again. A show appealing to more technically inclined people should not need to get as many viewers as shows whose demograhics consider candy bars to be their major purchase.
Get rid of those pieces of crap otherwise known as “Family Guy” and “American Dad.”
Bring back “Futurama” (get down on your hands and knees to Cartoon Network if you have to.)
Stop messing with “King of the Hill.” Get it on, leave it on. Football isn’t everything.
Looking at these other ‘24′ ideas. how about bring back Nina from season 1 and 2, who was the best villain 24 ever had, and team her up with Jack somehow? That would be so cool….
Get strict with the timeline (no cheating – Jack’s stuck in traffic? So be it – figure it out), dump any plot that has to do with presidential or CTU conspiracy (and no more “arrest Jack right now!”s), and focus on a more concentrated terrorist plot that takes place somewhere else like New York or even overseas. Borrow from Die Hard and have the terrorists running Jack and company on goose chases through the subway system. And focus as much on realism as possible – meaning realistic panic from the populace that interferes with CTU’s efforts. The writing on 24 has become too goofy and irresponsible. I want a tight-knit CTU team that is also imperfect and prone to weariness and mistakes as the long day wears on and the effects of staying awake take hold. I want a president that is fully supportive (perhaps the consipracy could be at the mayor or senator level). And I want the writers to rise to the challenge of true real time. Fox, promote the hell out of that and you’ll succeed.
BRING BACK ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTE THE CRAP OUT OF IT THIS TIME>
BEST SHOW EVER!!!
My main fix for 24: stop killing off the best characters! And enough with the repetitive storylines. How about this year someone tries to infiltrate CTU… and is taken down by the first security guard they encounter? Now THAT would be a shock!
Tony, you beat me to it! Bring back Arrested Development!
I also agree 900% with the answer “no more reality shows.”
Less reality TV. Give shows a chance–don’t cancel something after 3 episodes and 2 time slot changes. And bring back Standoff for another chance, with a chance for viewers to get hooked and a decent amount of publicity.
Stop killing off shows before they have time to gain popularity. Show the rest of Drive and apologize to Tim Minear. Get Joss Whedon or Rob Thomas to create a show for you. Woo Supernatural onto Fox and fill the programming gap left by the CW. Resurrect Veronica Mars. If you want to do reality TV, make it more like Project Runway. Promote Gordon Ramsay’s new show, it will be brilliant.
Stop prempting House willy nilly for American Idol! In January, February and March I think we saw all of 4 episodes. It’s annoying!
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