2. Heroes. If you were going to back a new show in the hopes it would survive and thrive in the same way Lost did two years ago, this might be your best bet. Heroes is getting good buzz from critics and fans alike and has posted good numbers to boot. It feels a bit too much like a scaled-down X-Men rip, but that actually works out okay because this is the year of derivative television.
Studio 60 mocks SNL. Ugly Betty is borrowed from a Spanish Channel Telenovella. Friday Night Lights is a TV show based on a movie, which is based on a book. The recently canceled Smith just threw together some scenes from Heat, Ocean's 11, and The Italian Job and called it a day. Kidnapped is merely the product of someone thinking, "Hey, what if we made Man on Fire into a TV show?" And on and on it goes.
So once you understand the landscape, you can really get behind Heroes. It is well-done, intriguing, and showing a capacity for real mystery, which is what made Lost a sensation long before the more compelling human dramas kicked in (although I think we can all agree the cast of Heroes is a far cry from that of Lost).
3. The Nine. I'm not sure people are going to tune in often enough to keep this one on the air, but here's hoping they do. There was a big drop from Lost to The Nine last week, and to be honest, I'm not sure why. It is another drama about human connections and relentless adversity, so you would think the audience is there. Maybe it's just too much in one block of time.
That said, the pilot was extremely compelling and the show seems to have a Matthew Fox type who can anchor the ensemble cast in Tim Daly. It is a little jolting to see Scott Wolf back at work, but other than that, this show might be a winner.
4. Jericho. CBS' new concept drama doesn't seem to be as well-written as the previous shows on this list, but the sheer fact this fictional world is going up in a literal mushroom cloud of smoke makes for good entertainment. I could do without Skeet Ulrich and his vacant expressions as a lead, but the actors are pretty tolerable across the board.
Jericho has two big things going for it: A) It is doing pretty well in the ratings department, which means fans of the show have some hope, and B) The possibilities are endless for plot turns. I have a good feeling about this show, even if I don't know why.
5. Friday Night Lights. You should know we're not NBC acolytes, even if we do have three of the Peacock's shows in the top five. It seems a lot of people are singing the praises of these dramas, yet NBC is getting crushed in the ratings.
Article comments
1 - Maura
Not sure what you mean about Skeet Ulrich's vacant stares. I think he is great and he's the main reason I tune in - don't you think his expressions are part of his character?
2 - Eric Berlin
I love the power rankings Adam -- really fantastic idea!
I've stuck with Jericho thus far, but I'm nearly done with it. Beyond learning about how the hell the US got nuked out its gourd, it's not really interesting at all. But the guy who played Hearst on Deadwood is on it, which helps.
3 - margaritanava
I was very upset to find out that they canned the show. They never even gave it a chance I saw all the episodes, and I believe that there are far more worse shows than Smith. Very upset to hear they will not be back on the air. I may not supoort CBS.
Thanks
4 - salsa queen
I really enjoyed Smith and looked forward to watching it. This had a very good storyline. It's too bad cause I rarely watch shows on CBS. They made a big mistake to get rid of it. This is the second time this has happened to me in two years. The series "Over There" on FX was a very good show and I was hooked. I looked forward to the 2nd season and then it was pulled. I can't help, but believe that the ratings were the only reasons these two were pulled.
5 - Joan Hunt
Congratulations! This article has been selected for placement on Advance.net
6 - Mike
I love Gerald McRaney, so I watched Jericho the first week and have kept up with it since. It's a great show. I just hope it lasts. It stinks every year when the shows I get into get cancelled. But Jericho has done really well so far, gaining viewers in its second week, which is rare. So CBS should keep it for a while.
7 - smithfan
If you are upset that CBS cancelled Smith, consider filing a complaint.
With enough viewer complaints, CBS may reconsider its cancelling of the marvelous fast-paced Smith with its excellent cast including Ray Liotta, Virginia Madsen, Simon Baker and Amy Smart and the show's superb writing.
Blame it on CBS's bad marketing, its only giving the show three episodes of airtime, and CBS's lack of promoting online viewing of earlier episodes of Smith for those who needed to catch up.
CBS could have given a better re-cap at the beginning of episodes for new viewers just tuning in. It could have re-run the episodes during off-hours, much like Bravo does, to allow viewers to catch up.
To complain, call CBS viewer relations at any time day or night to leave a message, or, to reach a live person, call during the hours of 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. EST - telephone CBS viewer relations at 212-975-3247.
You may also go to CBS's feedback form online to submit your complaint. Smith is still listed in the shows on that feedback form.
You may also sign this online petition to CBS to bring back Smith.
8 - Susan
I don't know how CBS is keeping Jericho around. Nor can I figure out what kind of viewer actually follows this show as the research the writers do is next to zero and the story line is so inplausible after the actual explosion itself. Last time I was in Kansas I don't remember seeing any mountains. HMMM. I certainly don't see much radioactive clean up going on, even though a huge deal was made of the rain, but I guess the bar-B-Que took precedences. Please CBS do us a favor and drop this show.
9 - Susan
I don't understand how this show is still in the lineup. The writers/producers show they do little research as they keep passing off implausible situations/facts to the audience. Mountains in Kansas? No attempt at radioactive clean up, but yet a bar-b-que? The characters themselves very shallow and trite. Please do us a favor and drop this show!
10 - Adam Hoff
It is interesting that the comments have focused mainly on bringing Smith back and getting rid of Jericho. I find both of those shows to be mediocre, which would tend to produce lukewarm responses. Curious.
I'm not usually one to root for shows to be cancelled, but if a crappy show in some way (either by directly beating out a better show in the rankings, or by simply occupying a "viewing slot" for someone in another show's target audience) damages the chances of a better show staying on the air, I can understand the sentiment. In the case of Jericho, it is one of the many new shows employing the "one season, one story" concept made so popular by shows like Lost and 24. I believe that the average TV consumer (even someone who watches a lot of shows) only has the capacity to invest in a few of these shows at any given time. So if Jericho gets the ratings, it could mean that people who might otherwise be watching a show like The Nine now are not.
Anyway, good comments all around. I've had the TiVo fired up all week so that I can update the power rankings next week. Here's a sneak preview: it is going to be a bad week for sitcoms.
11 - kim
SMITH WAS A GREAT SHOW DONT YOU GET IRED OF SEEING THE SAME OLD THINGS IT WAS FRESH AND SOMETHING NEW GO TO WWW.SMITH-ON-CBS.COM SGN THE PETITION GET THE SHOW BACK ON AIR
12 - carol
If anything CSI: Miami is in need of the ax. I recently was stuck in the hospital and the only thing to watch was reruns of CSI:Miami. I had forgotten how good the show was to begin with. But now it's all about color and bad acting with terrible story lines. Come on CBS. Stop dragging it out and cancel the show. PLEASE!