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Tuesday, May 16, 2006

ABC fall schedule: Save Invasion and Grey’s Anatomy moved to Thursdays

by Jennifer Squires Biller

Just in case you didn’t hear my reaction to ABC’s fall schedule news, let me repeat it: NOOOOOOOOO!!!!! (Followed by some choice words that I won’t repeat here.) Invasion, my favorite new drama of the year on any network, was…I can’t bear to say it…cancelled. Send antidepressants, Tubers, pronto.

As your Tube Talk Girl, I like to think I have my finger on the pulse of all that is right in television. But, apparently, I don’t. According to ABC executives, you like shows such as Wife Swap and According to Jim. Where did I go wrong, Tubers? Where? It’s a sad day when no-brainer shows are renewed year after year, but a unique, intelligent, mesmerizing drama like Invasion gets no love.

Wife Swap and According to Jim, are you kidding me? I swear I’m being Punked.

To all of you who watched Invasion due to my begging, i.e. harassment, “thank you.” And “I’m sorry.” (A special “sorry” to Aric and his Mrs., who came to love Invasion after I pimped the show to them.) If you’ll allow me a platitude: “I guess it’s better to have loved and lost…” Oh, forget it. This just stinks.

I’m on a mission to save Invasion. Those of you who want to help, can sign this online petition The word on the street ― (Yeah, I’ve got peeps on the street, but not the kind you’re thinking, you pervs) ― is that the CW or SciFi network may pick up Invasion. The CW network announces its schedule on Thursday, so here’s hoping. Meanwhile, I’ll be wearing black and rocking in the fetal position.

Can you hear me ABC? It’s been a long time since I’ve written an unflattering critique of an ABC show. (OK, so I never watched Commander in Chief , or I’m sure I would have cranked one out.) Still, I watched Freddie for you, and this is how you roll?

Speaking of Freddie, it was also cancelled, along with Commander in Chief and Hope and Faith. And in a surprise move no one saw coming, the freshman drama What About Brian was renewed.

You can come out now, Ashton.

Here’s the fall schedule, as released by ABC: (new shows are in CAPS)

MONDAY
8:00 p.m. “Wife Swap”
9:00 p.m. “The Bachelor”/”Supernanny”
10:00 p.m. “What About Brian”

TUESDAY
8:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars” (new night)/”SET FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE” (new alternative series)
9:00 p.m. “LET’S ROB…” (new comedy series)
9:30 p.m. “HELP ME HELP YOU” (new comedy series)
10:00 p.m. “Boston Legal”

WEDNESDAY
8:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars” (new night)/”George Lopez”/“According to Jim” (new night)
9:00 p.m. “Lost”
10:00 p.m. “THE NINE” (new drama series)

THURSDAY
8:00 p.m. “BIG DAY” (new comedy series)
8:30 p.m. “NOTES FROM THE UNDERBELLY” (new comedy series)
9:00 p.m. “Grey’s Anatomy” (new night and time)
10:00 p.m. “SIX DEGREES” (new drama series)

FRIDAY
8:00 p.m. “BETTY THE UGLY” (new comedy series)
9:00 p.m. “MEN IN TREES” (new drama series)
10:00 p.m. “20/20”

SATURDAY
8:00 p.m. “ABC Saturday Night College Football”

SUNDAY
7:00 p.m. “America’s Funniest Home Videos”
8:00 p.m. “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”
9:00 p.m. “Desperate Housewives”
10:00 p.m. “BROTHERS & SISTERS” (new drama series)

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Awww, I feel your pain on Invasion. I'm sad to see it go and I hope we get a good ending because I'll be annoyed if we are left in the middle of something big.

tube talk girl said...

I don't think we can possibly get a good ending which ticks me off even more. (I'm getting flashbacks to "Kevin Hill.") How can they wrap up all the hybrid genocide in just an hour? Send meds, Rae!

Anonymous said...

yours was a really nice article, one which I totally agree with...I have signed the petition, rounded up close to 19 fans, relatives, to sign in, wrote to abc, I thought the ending was fantastic, it's open to go anywhere, I am so sick of the reality shows, the comedies?, t v in general....but Invasion did make me sit up, I thought the actors were fantastic, and the whole story was believable, they made it so...I hope ABC or those that pull the strings, can re new it, and give a whole lot of us what we want....thanx, Daisey

tube talk girl said...

Thank you Lynda! Let's hope someone hears us and renews Invasion.

Anonymous said...

I too am very upset that ABC would screw over their loyal viewers by ending the series on a cliffhanger instead of giving any resolution to the story. This was the first show in a long time, that my entire family gathered to watch.
(And I do mean entire, my dad lives in Chicago I am in Kentucky, and he would CALL me and we woudl all watch together, with him on the phone watching at his house)
It saddens my that reality tv, and worse smut tv can boot off real "family" entertainment. [I dont see my family sitting down to watch DH TOGETHER anytime soon.]

Anonymous said...

Thanks for starting this petition, I've eagerly attached my signature. I agree that its too bad that genuinely creative, intriguing shows are pushed aside for the likes or Dr dramas, reality shows, and spinoffs (Stargate, booo).

tube talk girl said...

When I signed the petition it had more than 16,400 signatures. Good going, Tubers! I didn't start the petition, but I'm glad someone did, and I'm sure they could use even more signatures.

As for it going to SciFi,the ratings for "Invasion" weren't horrible, and I would think would be a pretty good for SciFi, if they would want to spend the money.


I'm sure the folks who started the petition

Anonymous said...

God God God I am so tired of new shows that I like being cancelled without any chance or resolution. I am not going to watch a new series until it makes it past the second season. Lost has petered out, I agree "Kevin Hill" was great and left hanging, Surface (okay I really like that one too) left in the deep, and now Invasion my absolutely favorite show. I feel like I have had several one night stands. Can't a network put some time into a show and build a watcher base anymore. I agree, stupid shows are renewed and quality shows like invasion get thrown in the gutter. I hope SciFi channel picks it up and again shows the networks how to do it. But then again, now that NBC owns SciFi I get a little concern about where their new loyalties are.
Val

Anonymous said...

invasion is the only show i like to watch .. oh i hope ABC is reading eveything

Anonymous said...

I have tried over the years not to get too attached to shows because the networks stick with mental mush rather than keep something like West Wing alive. Invasion, however, was of such a quality that I was caught by surprise and pulled in. This show was simply too good on too many levels to let it die a premature death.

Anonymous said...

I also am saddened by the recent cancellation of Invasion. And to think that the PTB at ABC feel that What About Brian will bring in more viewers! Even with two disruptions of Invasion, it still managed to draw in higher ratings than Brian. I feel that ABC didn't do enough to keep this show on the viewer's radar, and too little, too late, tried to revive some interest. I think they sabatoged the success of this show from the get go, and now we the viewer must suffer with more lame sitcoms and dramas about people not getting along! Boring!

tube talk girl said...

Hey, you'll get no mocking from me. Fellow Shaun Cassidy fan here! I used to sing "Da Doo Run Run" too. I even had the Shaun Cassidy necklace.

Anonymous said...

If you are interested in saving one of the greatest shows Invasion, then go to Invasion petition, and sign the petition. I did today.

Anonymous said...

Save Invasion go to Invasion petition and sign to save the greatest show.

Anonymous said...

Couldn't agree more. Invasion was incredible, it's depressing that this inteligently written and really captivating sci-fi type dramas is cancelled. Especially after that cliffhanger ending.

Carnivale comes to mind.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe Invasion has been cancelled. How does it end? Who are they really? I hate not knowing the answers to these and many more questions. My friends and I spent many nights following the newest episodes discussing the endless clues and hoping for more. Leave it to ABC to come up with a winner and ditch it for some MORE smut.

Anonymous said...

It's been a while since I enjoyed a show enough to actually remember what day and time it was on. Invasion pulled me in. Great story and acting. I couldn't believe it when I first read they were cancelling it...I thought it was a joke. I signed the petition and hope that others do (and that ABC takes heed).

Anonymous said...

Bring back Invasion! In the UK alone over half a million people watch it - add to that the US and Canada and it all equals one big ABC mistake!

Anonymous said...

I and a lot of people are disillusioned with ABC- TV, even- right now. So much so that I don't think I'll be tuning in to Lost anymore. Or any of ABC's shows for that matter (most of what they have is garbage anyway, apart from Lost and all the shows they cancelled, including Invasion).
I think I'll switch over to Fox's Prison Break instead.

Rebecca said...

The people running ABC are complete Morons. I still can't believe they cancelled Invasion. The funny thing is, the show they replaced it with, The Nine, has had horrible ratings since it aired and has now been taken off the ABC schedule. Serves ABC right.

Rebecca said...
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