FALL TV | ABC tries to cement base with women with estrogen-heavy schedule
May 16, 2007
BY DOUG ELFMAN
Television Critic
ABC -- the best place on TV for a Venus razor commercial. The estrogen network's new lineup looks like the cover of a Cosmo magazine.
Renewed: "Dancing With the Stars"! "The Bachelor"! "Ugly Betty"! "Men in Trees"!
New shows: "Women's Murder Club"! A "Grey's Anatomy" spin-off! And later in the season -- a do-gooder giveaway show from Oprah Winfrey!
It's astonishing. Ever since "Desperate Housewives," "Grey's" and "Dancing With the Stars" catapulted ABC to second place in the ratings, the network has gestated into a richer version of the Oxygen channel. Peruse the description for the drama "Big Shots":
"This is the story of four friends at the top of their game ... until the women in their lives enter the room."
Female casts are dressed with man meat. Taye Diggs. Michael Vartan. Dylan McDermott. Peter Krause.
Just look at the soapy wiles of Wednesdays: "Pushing Daisies." ("Ned puts his ability to good use ... touching dead fruit and making it ripe.") "Private Practice." (The "Grey's" spinoff.) And "Dirty Sexy Money." ("Power, privilege and family money are a volatile cocktail.")
To keep perspective, this is a counter to the boyhood and leggy models found on E!, Spike and parts of the CW. TV is nothing if it's not pandering to one stereotype or another.
Besides, Hollywood being Hollywood, ABC's narrative flows are still being created, directed and written mostly by men. Yet (to put it cynically), they're turning ABC into the channel women make men watch.
SCHEDULE
New shows in bold
SUNDAY
6 p.m. ''America's Funniest Home Videos''
7 p.m. ''Extreme Makeover: Home Edition''
8 p.m. ''Desperate Housewives''
9 p.m. ''Brothers and Sisters''
MONDAY
7 p.m. ''Dancing With the Stars''
8:30 p.m. ''Sam I Am''
9 p.m. ''The Bachelor''
TUESDAY
7 p.m. ''Cavemen''
7:30 p.m. ''Carpoolers''
8 p.m. ''Dancing With the Stars Results''
9 p.m. ''Boston Legal''
WEDNESDAY
7 p.m. ''Pushing Daisies''
8 p.m. ''Private Practice''
9 p.m. ''Dirty Sexy Money''
THURSDAY
7 p.m. ''Ugly Betty''
8 p.m. ''Grey's Anatomy''
9 p.m. ''Big Shots''
FRIDAY
7 p.m. ''Men in Trees''
8 p.m. ''Women's Murder Club''
9 p.m. ''20/20''
SATURDAY
7 p.m. ''Saturday Night College Football''
CANCELED
''George Lopez,'' ''Knights of Prosperity,'' "The Nine," "What About Brian." (Still undetermined: "According to Jim.")
RETURNING LATER
"Lost," "Notes From the Underbelly," "October Road," "Supernanny," "Wife Swap"
BY DOUG ELFMAN
Television Critic
ABC -- the best place on TV for a Venus razor commercial. The estrogen network's new lineup looks like the cover of a Cosmo magazine.
Renewed: "Dancing With the Stars"! "The Bachelor"! "Ugly Betty"! "Men in Trees"!
New shows: "Women's Murder Club"! A "Grey's Anatomy" spin-off! And later in the season -- a do-gooder giveaway show from Oprah Winfrey!
It's astonishing. Ever since "Desperate Housewives," "Grey's" and "Dancing With the Stars" catapulted ABC to second place in the ratings, the network has gestated into a richer version of the Oxygen channel. Peruse the description for the drama "Big Shots":
"This is the story of four friends at the top of their game ... until the women in their lives enter the room."
Female casts are dressed with man meat. Taye Diggs. Michael Vartan. Dylan McDermott. Peter Krause.
Just look at the soapy wiles of Wednesdays: "Pushing Daisies." ("Ned puts his ability to good use ... touching dead fruit and making it ripe.") "Private Practice." (The "Grey's" spinoff.) And "Dirty Sexy Money." ("Power, privilege and family money are a volatile cocktail.")
To keep perspective, this is a counter to the boyhood and leggy models found on E!, Spike and parts of the CW. TV is nothing if it's not pandering to one stereotype or another.
Besides, Hollywood being Hollywood, ABC's narrative flows are still being created, directed and written mostly by men. Yet (to put it cynically), they're turning ABC into the channel women make men watch.
SCHEDULE
New shows in bold
SUNDAY
6 p.m. ''America's Funniest Home Videos''
7 p.m. ''Extreme Makeover: Home Edition''
8 p.m. ''Desperate Housewives''
9 p.m. ''Brothers and Sisters''
MONDAY
7 p.m. ''Dancing With the Stars''
8:30 p.m. ''Sam I Am''
9 p.m. ''The Bachelor''
TUESDAY
7 p.m. ''Cavemen''
7:30 p.m. ''Carpoolers''
8 p.m. ''Dancing With the Stars Results''
9 p.m. ''Boston Legal''
WEDNESDAY
7 p.m. ''Pushing Daisies''
8 p.m. ''Private Practice''
9 p.m. ''Dirty Sexy Money''
THURSDAY
7 p.m. ''Ugly Betty''
8 p.m. ''Grey's Anatomy''
9 p.m. ''Big Shots''
FRIDAY
7 p.m. ''Men in Trees''
8 p.m. ''Women's Murder Club''
9 p.m. ''20/20''
SATURDAY
7 p.m. ''Saturday Night College Football''
CANCELED
''George Lopez,'' ''Knights of Prosperity,'' "The Nine," "What About Brian." (Still undetermined: "According to Jim.")
RETURNING LATER
"Lost," "Notes From the Underbelly," "October Road," "Supernanny," "Wife Swap"
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