Oh what a tangled web we weave, when looking to FOX for quality programming. I recently summed up four nights on the network in one quick shot, with a pitiful amount of quality programming stemming from that exercise.
While I can’t guarantee you that you’ll find Thursday to be any different, at the very least I was happy to fill the entire night with actual shows, which marks the first time since I discussed FOX Sunday that I was able to do so for the network. So that’s something, right?
8:00-8:30 Once upon a time, Sunday night was not synonymous with animation on FOX. Back then — in what is otherwise known as the year 1990, or the first year FOX began its run as an also-ran network — it led off its big Thursday night with what, twenty years later, remains one of its biggest hits: The Simpsons. Sure I still watch it today, but as a pick? I don’t think so. Living Single was The Golden Girls for a new generation, but while I could enjoy the latter, I never laughed at the former. And did anyone laugh at World’s Wildest Police Videos? Family Guy was given a chance here, but back in 2001 Stewie wasn’t the juggernaut he is today. FOX has also tried reality at this hour — 30 Seconds to Fame, Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?, Kitchen Nightmares — to which I say, “Pass!” Tru Calling didn’t seem to serve Eliza Dushku any better than her recent series, and I’ve already shared my feelings about That ’70s Show and Bones in discussing other nights. The O.C. would probably do extremely well today on The CW, which I think says all that needs to be said about it connecting with me. I’m going to go with what might be considered an unexpected choice, but one that is the right one nonetheless: Martin. Say what you will about some of the annoying characters like Sheneneh … Martin Lawrence is hilarious.
8:30-9:00 A few repeat offenders here to be dispensed with quickly: Martin, Living Single, 30 Seconds to Fame, That ’70s Show. Drexell’s Class sent a disgraced stockbroker to teach at an elementary school, The Sinbad Show was Sinbad’s Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper, and The Crew tried to put flight attendants on the map. Between Brothers gave Kadeem Hardison yet another job that he should have turned down, and The Tick gave us Patrick Warburton in a blue suit. Personally, I’m going with a show that only gave us about a dozen episodes back in 2006. I’m still not convinced that I would have fallen for it wholeheartedly, but on FOX you take what you can get, and I did enjoy it while it was on. Based on its sudden cancellation I’m sure few of you remember it, but my pick is Happy Hour. What can I say?
9:00-10:00 What can we pass on quickly? In Living Color and Herman’s Head are on my Sundays, and we’ve discussed Family Guy, Tru Calling, The O.C., and Kitchen Nightmares above. Also easy enough to wade through? Reality nightmares Temptation Island, Forever Eden, Don’t Forget the Lyrics!, and Hell’s Kitchen. Then there were the odes to teenage angst and/or surf-and-sun ogling that FOX vomited out in the years before The CW took over that game: Beverly Hills, 90210, The Heights, and North Shore among them. 413 Hope St. should have worked … set in a crisis center for youth, it was like ER for teenagers. Not that that would have interested me, but still. Action starred Jay Mohr, no further explanation for failure needed. Reunion was like Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion with a murder/mystery twist — better contained in a movie. And Point Pleasant and Fringe are the worst of offenders for me — supernatural and/or science fiction. My pick here goes back to 1994, when a biracial partnership was still risky, a female boss even more so, and the streets of NY were still a mess. That’s when New York Undercover first premiered, and I can’t drive past a certain part of Riverside Drive without seeing flashes of its title sequence. Do you remember Ice-T’s turn as Danny Up? Good times.
See? A full night of watchable TV on FOX. At least as far as I’m concerned. How about you? What does your dream Thursday night on FOX look like?
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Mar 05, 2010 @ 10:30 EST5EDT
I barely remember NYU, as I’m 24 now and was fairly young when it was on. If I remember correctly, the show was ahead of it’s time in looking at more than just police officers on the job by delving into their personal lives, which shows like The Shield did so well years later
*POST AUTHOR*
Exactly. Malik Yoba’s character was raising a son by himself, Michael DeLorenzo’s had a drug-addict father and gang ties, and he and Lauren Vélez’s character were romantically involved. And Patti D’Arbanville-Quinn’s character, the Lieutenant, had a demanding family life at home. It was most definitely not, in any way, comparable to the police procedurals of today. Much more akin to shows like The Shield, or NYPD Blue.
Whoa, “Action” and “Fringe” were and are terrific shows, but I think “Fringe” belongs back on Tuesdays. A Thursday candidate I don’t know if you’ve mentioned elsewhere is “The Loop.” Fox totally screwed around with this show, never gave it a fair shot, renewing it for a second season and then basically cancelling it before even airing it (and why don’t they make the full season available on iTunes??). At least that gave Bret Harrison a shot at “Reaper” but the first season of “The Loop” was pretty funny and had promise, but too many changes to the tone of the show for season 2 doomed it.
*POST AUTHOR*
Yes, I see that I overlooked The Loop. It was on in the 2007 summer schedule (can’t find when else), and I apparently missed it in my data collection … as well as when it was on. But I loved Bret Harrison on Reaper!