Arts & Life

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Written by: Lake County News Reports

Published: 05 February 2010

Only a few short years ago, Stephen McPherson, president of the ABC Entertainment Group, gambled his fall schedule on 10 new series, which is kind of like replacing all five cards dealt in a poker game.

In any case, stability now reigns at the ABC television network, and McPherson continues in his position as head honcho.

Speaking to a gathering of the nation’s TV critics, McPherson acknowledged indirectly that success comes not just from stability in a schedule, but the willingness to gamble when necessary.

“I think we are going to continue to be ambitious,” he said, 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.”

In this regard, it’s evident that ABC is going to miss “Lost” when its run comes to an end.

I confess that I never get caught up in the hoopla over “Lost,” the drama that launched in September 2004 and has been nominated, by McPherson’s count, for 146 awards.

Having won the prestigious Peabody Award as well as the Emmy and Golden Globe for best drama series, “Lost” is a creative force to be reckoned with, but still I never succumbed to its appeal.

Frankly, I found myself “lost” when watching “Lost,” which is likely to happen when you tune in briefly to show that requires total commitment to faithful viewing and understanding of the key players.

In any case, ABC has announced that “Lost” comes to an end in a prime-time special event on Sunday, May 23, a two-hour episode from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Preceding the finale will be a recap special from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., something like a Cliff Notes for the occasional viewer.

McPherson issued a statement that the ABC network is “giving the producers an unprecedented opportunity to respect the fans and really satisfy the viewers with a spectacular conclusion.” Fans of “Lost” now have a challenge to see if the network lives up to its promise.

Stability in a network is also evident when commitments are made early to renew viable series. ABC has solidified its Wednesday night comedy lineup by announcing early pickups of “Cougar Town,” “The Middle” and “Modern Family,” all of which are freshman shows.

“Modern Family,” which makes the cookie cutter mold of man and wife and 2.5 kids a thing of the past, is the network’s top-rated new comedy. Starring Patricia Heaton, “The Middle” has found success with the traditional family and solid Midwestern values. As for “Cougar Town,” Courteney Cox is all the rage as a newly divorced single mother of a certain age submerged in the dating scene.

In case you missed it, ABC recently premiered the new legal drama “The Deep End,” making up for the fact that “Boston Legal” ran its course.

Instead of delving primarily into the quirks of senior partners, “The Deep End” focuses on the tragedies and triumphs of five earnest 20-something first-year associates fighting to stay afloat in one of Los Angeles’ top law firms.

Not surprisingly, the neophytes are tossed into the shark-infested waters of a cutthroat environment. The five associates struggle with ethical decisions, while the firm’s partners are up to their eyeballs in backstabbing and the occasional office romances. Billy Zane’s partner is married to another partner (Nicole Ari Parker), but that doesn’t keep him from sleeping with the paralegal.

Arriving later this spring as a midseason replacement is the quirky drama “Happy Town,” a show that producer Scott Rosenberg told TV critics would generate inevitable comparisons to “Twin Peaks.” In fact, Rosenberg recounted how he bet someone involved with that show that he would provide a dollar for every review of his new show that doesn’t mention “Twin Peaks” and that he guaranteed he would wind up not owing a nickel.

According to the producer, the comparison is inevitable because “Happy Town” is a “spooky, small-town show.” I am expecting Rosenberg to send me a dollar because I will not directly bring up a comparison to David Lynch’s cult favorite creation.

Haplin, Minnesota is a small town haunted by a number of unsolved kidnappings. After an uneasy peace for five years, the town now faces a dark new crime that brings all its unresolved fears to the surface. Has the elusive “Magic Man,” who many believe is responsible for the bizarre abductions, returned to claim another victim?

The motives of prominent citizens come under scrutiny as their own secrets and personalities are peeled back one layer at a time. Dragged away from his idyllic family life to investigate the new spate of crimes, Tommy Conroy (Geoff Stults), a small town deputy under the wing of his dad, long-time popular Sheriff Griffin Conroy (M.C. Gainey), has never had to take charge of Haplin’s law enforcement.

On the other side of town, the long shadow of the Haplin founding family, represented by mysterious matriarch Peggy Haplin (Frances Conroy) and her son, John (Steven Weber), who runs the local bread factory, try to maintain control. John’s daughter was one of the “Magic Man’s” victims, and he has not given up hope of finding her and seeing justice.

Like some other show I won’t mention, “Happy Town” is full of colorful characters caught in webs of intrigue and mystery. Producer Rosenberg claims that his show looks to give answers in swift fashion. Every time a question is raised, it should be answered in the next episode, though the answer is likely to open up another question.

“The idea is to really be giving individual satisfactions within each episode to reassure the audience that answers are coming and that it’s not just going to be dragging something else,” said the producer in his comforting words.

Though not ready yet to announce its all-star cast, ABC kicks off the 10th season of the hit reality series “Dancing with the Stars” with a huge two-hour premiere on Monday, March 22.

I had no idea we’re already upon a double-digit season. Sometimes I feel like Rip Van Winkle, rising from a deep slumber and unaware of important cultural news like this.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.