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Only last January, Steve McPherson, president of the ABC Entertainment Group, was informing the gathering of the nation’s TV critics for the winter press tour that he acknowledged indirectly that success in programming comes not just from stability in a schedule, but the willingness to gamble when necessary.
At the time, he said the network was “going to continue to be ambitious,” adding “that’s where we succeed.” On the flip side, he also noted that “where we have been derivative and played it safe, I think we fail.”
When the TV critics’ summer press tour rolled around, Steve McPherson was nowhere to be found.
Similar to a missive from the politburo, only days before the start of ABC’s portion of the press tour, a statement on behalf of the Disney/ABC Television Group tersely announced that McPherson submitted his resignation as president and the company accepted.
The second sentence of a three-sentence paragraph quoted McPherson as saying “I want to thank the wonderful team of individuals who have worked with me throughout my time here and wish them nothing but the best.” This is Hollywood-speak for “I am being pushed out the door but I will say something short and sweet because I need to work in this town on some production deals.”
Naturally, ABC did not want TV critics resorting to wild conjecture about what went wrong.
Kevin Brockman, communications director, quickly announced at the start of ABC’s press tour presentation that the brief statement of McPherson’s departure “still holds” and that was all the company was literally “going to say on the subject.”
ABC had no interest in entertaining questions from pesky journalists. Just in case his point wasn’t clear, Brockman went on to say that ABC gave a statement and that “we really have nothing more to add.” And, poof, McPherson became a nonentity assigned to the industry gulag.
Thrust into the new job as president of ABC Entertainment, Paul Lee, formerly the head of the ABC Family network, had to put a good face on his elevation to his new post, and in the process came across as composed, unruffled and knowledgeable.
Saying he had only been in the job for 36 hours, Lee apologized in advance “if I don’t have all the answers to all the questions.”
Lee expressed his philosophy of creating “brand-defining, network-defining, ground-breaking shows” which involve “quality storytelling” and “brand equity.” He also expressed his desire to “take some risks, make some great shows, have some surprises and still do it to a defined target audience.”
Left unsaid is that Lee inherits a fall schedule heavy with new shows he did not personally arrange.
At least for now, the McPherson era lives on with several new fall shows.
“Detroit 1-8-7,” fittingly enough, is a drama about the men and women of the homicide division in the Detroit Police Department.
The damaged and driven Detective Louis Fitch (Michael Imperioli) is a wily veteran who is the most respected man in the division. Fitch’s new partner, Detective Damon Washington (Jon Michael Hill), finds his first day on the job is a trial by fire.
The old-timer is Sergeant Jesse Longford (James McDaniel), who struggles with his impending retirement. The streetwise, smooth-talking narcotics undercover cop John Stone (D.J. Cotrona) is clever and quick with a smile, which comes in handy as he is partnered with the sexy Detective Ariana Sanchez (Natalie Martinez). Expect some combustible conflict and sexual tension with these two.
Heading up the division in “Detroit 1-8-7” is a strong-willed single mom, Lieutenant Maureen Mason (Aisha Hinds), who struggles to balance home and work.
Michael Chiklis, who made his mark in “The Shield,” heads up an unusual family in the drama “No Ordinary Family.”
Chiklis’ Jim Powell feels disconnected from his workaholic wife Stephanie (Julie Benz) and two teenage children.
To encourage family bonding, Jim decides the family will join Stephanie on her business trip to South America.
When their plane crashes in the Amazon River, they survive and soon come to realize that each member of the family starts to show signs of new, unique and distinct super powers.
The central premise of the show is whether their newfound abilities will finally bring them together as a family or push them further apart.
“Body of Proof” is a new medical drama which stars Dana Delany as Dr. Megan Hunt, a brilliant neurosurgeon whose career is turned upside down when a devastating car accident puts an end to her time in the operating room.
Megan resumes her career as a medical examiner after botching a surgery in a serious manner. Her medical instincts remain sharp, but she develops a reputation for graying the lines where her job ends and where the police department’s begins.
Dr. Hunt’s methods are unconventional and she ruffles a lot of feathers. Jeri Ryan plays the role of her boss, Dr. Kate Murphy. “Body of Proof” may prove to be a female-centric drama.
The unique legal drama “The Whole Truth” chronicles the way a case is built from the perspective of both the defense and prosecution. Showing each side equally keeps the audience guessing.
Maura Tierney stars as Kathryn Peale, the deputy bureau chief in the New York State District Attorney’s office. Rob Morrow, starring as Jimmy Brogan and a friend of Kathryn’s since their days at Yale Law School, is one of New York’s rising criminal attorney stars.
These evenly matched lawyers fervently pursue their competitive streaks in the courtroom. The fact that “The Whole Truth” is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer is reason enough to expect some good things.
I haven’t quite figured out what “My Generation” is all about. It seems to be a mockumentary, in that it follows what happens to a group of high school students in Austin, Texas 10 years after their graduation.
The program revisits former classmates as they return home to rediscover that just because they’re not where they planned doesn’t mean they’re not right where they need to be. “My Generation” appears skewed to the younger demographic.
ABC’s only new comedy for the fall is “Better With You,” about a couple that have been dating for nine years.
Jennifer Finnigan’s Maddie and Josh Cooke’s Ben know each other inside and out, a relationship marked by contentment and affection.
Suddenly, Maddie’s younger sister, Mia (JoAnna Garcia), who has been dating Casey (Jake Lacy) for seven weeks, announces they are getting married and having a baby.
The news throws Maddie for a loop, but the girls’ parents, Vicky (Debra Jo Rupp) and Joel (Kurt Fuller), couldn’t be more pleased. “Better With You” explores the comedic side of three very different relationships intertwined in one family.
Hedging their bets on the fall schedule, ABC has already announced three midseason replacements shows, “Happy Endings,” “Mr. Sunshine,” and “Off the Map.”
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
