Videogum » Upfronts

Even More, You Know, Upfronts

Gabe — Fri, 20 May 2011 15:45:02 +0000

So, I lied earlier this week. In talking about all of the exciting parties where the stars of Fringe do burlesque routines in novelty-bathtub-sized martini glasses that the networks throw themselves, I said that I was not invited to any of these parties, and that is not entirely true. I was invited to ONE of these parties: the Adult Swim party. Makes sense, I guess. Right? You think CBS is going to invite me to their party? CBS is not going to invite me to their party. No offense none taken. Let me tell you guys something, though, based on the one upfront party that I went to: WE ALL NEED TO GO TO THESE UPFRONT PARTIES MORE! Citizens! Storm the castle! Holy moly. Every joke I have ever made about caviar omelets and a jacuzzi filled with champagne hardly even covers it, and this is Adult Swim we are talking about, a segment of programming on a basic cable network! Can you imagine what it is like at the FOX NEWS party?! Anyway, I know that it sounds like I am bragging about how I got to go to a fancy party, and I am! It was so great! I wish you had been there! My advice is that you start a pop culture website about movies, TV, and YouTubes, and then alienate yourself to most of the industry about which you write, with the exception of one or two small groups that seem to like what you do, and then meet me at the open bar. I will be the one wearing druuuuuunk.

Anyway, here are some preview clips from the new CBS and CW shows premiering this fall:

More, Like, Uh, Upfronts Stuff?

Gabe — Tue, 17 May 2011 16:45:42 +0000

Television upfronts week continues. More panel discussions! More weird Photshops of the casts of shows standing in front of ugly Photoshopped backdrops in some kind of mega-Photoshop nightmare that serve some mysterious purpose that civilians could not possibly understand. Is it supposed to promote the show somehow? Probably, but how does THAT work? Everyone looks like a plasticface in a child’s diorama, and no one DVR’s shows because of the cast photos. Whatever. We talked a little bit yesterday about what the new fall shows were going to be like but now we have new trailers from FOX and ABC, soooo:

So, Like, The Upfronts, Or Whatever

Gabe — Mon, 16 May 2011 17:30:09 +0000

This week is the television upfronts, when all of the major networks (and also some cable channels that WISH they were major networks) (“I’m going to shove you into your locker, cable networks” – major networks) announce their fall schedules and promote their new shows. Neat! There are lots of parties, I think? I don’t know. I’m not actually invited. When I imagine television upfront presentations, I imagine a line of chorus girls dancing in synchronicity to a song about Law & Order: SVU. And when I imagine television upfront parties I see one of those lounge singers dangling out of a giant martini glass full of bubble bath. And Jon Hamm in the corner just housing a tray of cold cuts. The whole thing has a very burlesque/cabaret vibe. In my head. Most things in my head have that vibe, actually. ANYWAY, some of the new shows already have preview videos available on-line, and some of them have made very little information available whatsoever. After the jump, a brief look at what’s up:

Hey Look, Racists, FOX Presents Its Fall Line-Up

Gabe — Tue, 18 May 2010 14:15:31 +0000

The television upfronts continue to take place in New York City this week, and I continue to not know what those are. Hugh Laurie is there? Is it Hugh Laurie’s birthday? Someone get Hugh Laurie another glass of champagne, please! Of course, yesterday we were talking about how NBC faces the nearly insurmountable challenge of pleasing a nation of terrified racists huddled in their dirty bomb shelters. Not as easy as it sounds! But, of course, all of the networks are faced with this uphill battle. It’s like they always say, you can please some of the racists some of the time, but you can’t build a 300-foot-high-electric-steel-fence on the border with Mexico and the nation of Islam fast enough for all of the racists any of the time. Meanwhile, oil continues to pour out of a hole in the ocean at a rate that starts to make you wonder if the ocean itself is going to just be pure oil soon, and although it is 2010 and we can make the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park look incredibly lifelike, still no one knows how to stop this oil, and you turn to The Boy and you are like GET THOSE BLANKETS INTO THE CART, WE ARE GOING TO NEED THOSE TO COVER OUR HEADS AGAINST THE FALLING ASH. So I think we all wish the FOX network luck as they enter the fall season with a slate of new comedies and dramas!

Remember When Twin Peaks Was Just A Network TV Show?

Gabe — Wed, 20 May 2009 11:54:25 +0000

It is upfronts season, which means that all of the major networks are announcing their fall line-ups and appealing to advertisers with fancy parties and celebrity-filled presentations for early commitments to spend their hard-earned Disney Dollars. After the networks are done raking in the cash with their giant metaphorical ham fists, they will turn to us, the viewers, and try to get us on board. The circle of TV life.

Hakuna Matata.

So it is funtimes to stumble on this clip (via The Daily What) in which ALAN THICKE takes us on an upfronts season behind-the-scenes tour of Twin Peaks. Because sometimes it’s easy to forget that your favorite cult TV show that no one understands or appreciates the way you do was ACTUALLY ON TV, and all that that entails.

Next Fall’s TV Lineup

Gabe — Fri, 16 May 2008 09:33:08 +0000

This was an important week in television, because it was the week when all the major networks announced their fall line-up of blog subjects and national punchlines. There is only so much time to do snarky recaps and countdowns to cancellation, so if you want to get your show mentioned on a lot of Tumblr’s, you’ve got to make it stand out. Lindsay already gave you some sneak peeks at a few of the things you’re going to be so excited (not excited) to watch next fall. After the jump, a much more comprehensive collection of previews and clips (via Hollywood Reporter), and a completely different take on Opportunity Knocks than my colleague’s.