The Extratextuals

As described over on Jason Mittell’s Just TV blog, Jason, Ivan, Derek, and I recently set up a Fantasy Television League draft. The draftees were the new primetime network shows (with Don’t Forget the Lyrics and The Singing Bee dropped from contention due to early starts, and CW Now and Online Nation dropped since, well, they’re different). Each of us got six picks, and as the season progresses, we’ll get 1 point if the show lives to the November sweeps, 2 for February sweeps, 3 for May sweeps, and 4 for renewal. In addition, we could each dub one of our picks a Designated Stinker, and whoever’s stinker is around the least before its network parent kills it, gets 5 points. Obviously, this competition could take a while to decide. But following Jason’s explanation of his picks on his blog, and in the spirit of our blog crossover, Crisis on Infinite Blogs, I’m now explaining my own picks.

First, I should explain how the ordering went. Since I’d seen most of the pilots at the Paley Center, it seemed fair that I pick last. Ivan had seen 8 pilots with me, so he was third. Then, randomly we picked Derek to go first, a pick he squandered with youthful naivety on Bionic Woman. Draft order reversed each round.

I’ve already blogged about my reactions to the pilots, but let me add a few words on my strategery of picking here. In likely contrast to my draft opponents, I’ll probably only watch one of my six shows (Reaper), but I’m happy enough with these as predicted survivors. When Kidnapped can get canned yet The War at Home gets a full season, or when Freaks and Geeks gets the boot, yet Ghost Whisperer (and, indeed, Jennifer Love Hewitt’s career) continues to linger on television like a stubborn fart, one learns quickly not to pick by quality.More below the fold Read more…

draft draft, pilots