RIP TV Volume 2: ¿La red está muerto?

The continuation of brief thoughts on this year's canceled (spelled it correctly this time, you'll notice) programming. This part with be almost entirely devoid of positivity and/or reasons these shows should still be on the air.

Kelsey Grammer is an institution on network television, from Cheers and Frasier to lending a crazy good voice to The Simpsons' Sideshow Bob, but that resume and all the executive producing in the world didn't ingratiate his drab studio sitcom Hank with the masses. Seems this tired, every other family television comedy clone is hell bent for The CW - a varitable dumping ground for Grammer-produced shows. Mr. Grammer's recent track record isn't encouraging; I mean, his previous network entry was the painful, self-indulgent "Back to You" - and that lasted 2 months longer! Could it be that "Hank" was meant for the stage and not a studio audience?

Now Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution was supposed to transform society-at-large by its wacky demeanor and golden aura, and had good intentions indeed, but if sitting a group of fatties in front of a mountain of greasy, sugary foodstuffs to facilitate a proper badgering is good television then you must already watch The Biggest Loser and be getting your fill. The problem with the show was that Oliver & Co could only fascinate schoolchildren and us for so long and the show wound up completely selling out when they attempted to marry the ugliness and mess of reality television with the cleanliness and simplicity of Oliver's established image as a foodie travelogue the like New Scandinavian Cooking. Good intentions with ideals that probably became too big to harness.

Although I never watched Scrubs save for a scene here or there as I flipped stations, I always had the feeling this show should have been canceled long, long ago. Sure I can understand how people might be swayed by its flippant and transient make-up, but Scrubs seemed to utterly mock its own audience, seemingly laughing at them as to why the hell they would be tuning in and reaching for fresh new levels of pointlessness as to taunt.

Now I actually did watch a few episodes of Wife Swap, and though it was one of many contemporary shows ripped from UK network television, it seemed to be wholly American in nature. Producers found polar opposite families, often across the country, and installed the moms into the other household for two weeks - by utilising the mothers as the proxy, the children would often fall in line with "new mom" and cause the necessary drama. Sure, on its face, the show touted a get to know the other side scenario, and that's all well and good, but when I think of the proverbial evil producer, I think of the ones associated with this show. Besides all of that, the problem was the premise became repetitive and predictable. Let's hope the families had fun with it and there's no lasting trauma. Seriously.

My affinity for legal and police thrillers/dramas/mysteries had zero room for the CBS procedural Cold Case - and I consumed a few episodes to be sure I wasn't mistaken. The show was a near hour of 70s flashbacks, set to a 70s soundtrack no less, so that presumably the audience could play along - or whatever. In any case, the show came off as one by and for too specific an audience and the pace played to even an older demographic. Bland characters, repetitive crimes and motives, as well as weak attempts to attract younger viewers with Bush and Nirvana soundtracks were part and parcel to my lack of interest. Not forgetting the show did last seven seasons.

Gary Unmarried was a fairly lazy comedy about a divorced couple with a couple of kids that sort of remained friends. A few episodes of this semi-hackneyed premise saw such tried and true premises as Gary dating new women and Allison (the ex) mocking him and her, one of the two contradicting the others' parental methodology and the kid ends up playing them off each other - and similar hijinks. Writers just couldn't make Gary enough of a guy's guy, and ended up turning him into a tool/caricature. Nothing fresh - nothing you wouldn't see on a number of other sitcoms - and coming dangerously close to turning the Gary into an estranged character of How I Met Your Mother. Cancellation may have been the humane out.

O.k., I'm officially bored. Basically the only show I'll miss is Law & Order. I've watched that show on a regular basis (along with L&O: CI) for some time and I'll be interested to see who, if anyone, will turn up in the forthcoming Law & Order: Los Angeles - as wary and I am of spinning off a franchise of this caliber. Hell, I even watch reruns! A great show that like many were damaged by writer strikes and economic slowdowns alike. Sad, really. In the latter couple seasons, Law & Order's writing and production values fell off to a point where even a fan like myself hesitated to tune in. And with Criminal Intent leaping between paid and free television, another great show (franchise status aside) could very well end up trying fan's patience all the way to cancellation. What's to be done?!?