[Televisionary]

About two weeks ago, I asked readers to discuss which of the crop of new fall series they were still watching after sampling. I posted the question on the heels of the cancellation of FOX's Lone Star and ABC's My Generation , both of which were yanked from the airwaves after just two broadcasts. A few weeks later, CBS yesterday picked up all five (yes, five!) of its new fall offerings, giving $#*! My Dad Says, Hawaii Five-0, Mike & Molly, The Defenders , and Blue Bloods full seasons. It's rare for a network to go five-for-five when it comes to their freshman shows, but it also points to just what a middling season of television this has turned out to be thus far. A season where even NBC is giving a vote of confidence to mediocre series like The Event, Chase , and Outsourced ... and ordering more scripts for Undercovers . So now that the dust has settled a bit more, I'm wondering once again: what are you still watching a few weeks on from the initial question? Wha...

Sigh. Personally, I think this batch of new series is pretty much a wash so far. Given the cancellations already of both FOX's Lone Star and ABC's My Generation , the clock is already ticking for more than a few other freshman series. (My money's on either The Whole Truth or Outlaw to be the next to fall.) But, just out of (morbid) curiosity, I'm wondering which new fall series you're still watching and which you've already consigned to the dust heap of memory (or at least deleted your TiVo season pass). Still hooked on The Event ? Curious about Undercovers ? Already passed on Running Wilde or Raising Hope ? What are your thoughts on Hawaii Five-O, Mike and Molly, Chase, No Ordinary Family, Blue Bloods, The Defenders, Bleep My Dad Says, Nikita , and Hellcats ? Is there anything you've given a reprieve to or a complete pass? (And, yes, feel free to include new cable series like HBO's Boardwalk Empire or FX's Terriers , the only two new fall serie...

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's... Michael Chiklis jumping over a building. Now that ABC has launched its family-friendly superhero drama No Ordinary Family , I'm curious to hear what you thought about the Greg Berlanti/Jon Harmon Feldman-created pilot episode. I was very frank about my own feelings about the pilot , which I've now seen no less than three different versions of since it was picked up to series in May. But now that the premiere has aired, I want to hear what you thought about the episode in question. Did you enjoy the pilot? Were you bothered at all by the tonal inconsistencies? What did you make of the various coincidences that sprung up throughout the pilot, from the appearance of other super-powered types to that final reveal at the very end? What did you think about the fact that their powers were all connected to their internal struggles and did you find that to be on the nose at all? And, most importantly, will you tune in again next week? Talk ...

ABC's superhero dramedy No Ordinary Family might be all the more frustrating because it has the potential to be something fun and irreverent, but instead is tonally inconsistent and plays too heavily with the sentimental and saccharine. To borrow some superhero parlance, rather than leaping tall buildings in a single bound, it thuds to earth with a sonic boom. Creators Greg Berlanti and Jon Harmon Feldman want to have it both ways: he wants a superhero spectacle that borrows liberally from the success and charm of Pixar's The Incredibles but he also wants to tackle familial issues as well. When the Powells crash their plane into a remote section of the Amazon, they're granted extraordinary powers that separate them from mere mortals. Which would be enough of a suspension of disbelief but the powers they receive just happen to coincide with their particular cross to bear in life. Father and husband Jim (Michael Chiklis), a police sketch artist by trade, has lost his spark ...

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing. Good news for Annie Walker fans: USA has officially ordered a second season of espionage drama Cover Affairs . No word was given on an episodic order nor when Season Two of the Universal Cable Production-based series would launch, though the first season of the CIA drama is currently in full swing on the cabler. Series, which is shot on location in Toronto, is currently the highest rated cable series on Tuesdays in the 10 pm hour. (via press release) Longtime followers on Twitter will remember that I pushed Josh Holloway for the role of Jim Rockford in NBC's resurrected The Rockford Files back in the spring when I read the pilot script. Entertainment Weekly 's Michael Ausiello is now pushing Holloway as well and reports that the former Lost star has been "mentioned in connection to the project, but [an unnamed] insider stresses that there are no serious talks going on at this time." So it's not like an offer ha...

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing. Entertainment Weekly 's Michael Ausiello is reporting that ABC's upcoming superhero drama No Ordinary Family is undergoing some casting changes as Tate Donovan ( Damages ) and Christina Chang ( CSI: Miami ). The actors respectively played the family's doomed pilot and a detective at the precinct where Michael Chiklis' character worked as a police sketch artist. An unnamed source close to the production told Ausiello that the decision was storyline-based and that producers hoped to bring both actors back in a guest starring capacity if their schedules allowed for it. ( Entertainment Weekly 's Ausiello Files ) E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos has an interview with Bones star Emily Deschanel, in which she asks the actress about the will-they-or-won't-they romance between Brennan and David Boreanaz's Booth. So will the star-crossed duo ever come together? "[In] the 100th episode we came very close,...

ABC unveiled its fall schedule and new programming offerings to advertisers today in New York, continuing the second official day of network upfronts week. (You can read more about ABC's schedule and and read episode descriptions here .) Not in New York? You can check out the show previews for ABC's newest series, including No Ordinary Family, The Whole Truth, My Generation, Off the Map, Detroit 1-8-7, Body of Proof, Mr. Sunshine, Happy Endings, and Better Together , below. NO ORDINARY FAMILY THE WHOLE TRUTH MY GENERATION OFF THE MAP DETROIT 1-8-7 BODY OF PROOF MR. SUNSHINE BETTER TOGETHER HAPPY ENDINGS SECRET MILLIONAIRE Which of these series look best to you? Which are you planning on checking out? And which will not even warrant a quick glance? Head to the comments section to discuss.

NBC today officially announced that it had renewed action-comedy Chuck for a fourth season of thirteen episodes, landing it a spot on the 2010-11 schedule at the Peacock. " Chuck has proven its enduring appeal and we love the new creative direction that Josh and Chris have taken the show," said Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios, in a statement. While news of the renewal leaked out yesterday (and was itself confirmed earlier today by co-creator Josh Schwartz via Twitter), NBC today officially gave words of the Season Four renewal of Chuck in a press release that also touted the series order of several projects including Outlaws (formerly known as Garza ), Harry's Law (formerly known as Kindreds ), superhero drama The Cape , and comedy Friends with Benefits . While the news of Chuck 's renewal is cause for celebration, there is a bit of news that may put a damper on the joyous occasion: Televisionary has learned ex...

Not content to be left out of today's announcements, ABC has made its first series pickup for the 2010-11 season, ordering superhero drama No Ordinary Family to series, according to The Hollywood Reporter . Project, from ABC Studios and Berlanti Television, is written by Jon Feldman, directed by David Semel, and executive produced by Greg Berlanti, Michael Chiklis, Morgan Wandeell, and David Semel. No Ordinary Family stars Michael Chiklis, Julie Benz, Jimmy Bennett, Christina Chang, Romany Malco, Autumn Reeser, and Kay Panabaker. The pilot episode featured guest star Tate Donovan. [Editor: having read the pilot script, I dare say that Donovan, who plays doomed pilot Mitch McCutcheon, will be back.] Here's how ABC describes the project: "The Powells are about to go from ordinary to extraordinary. After 16 years of marriage, Jim and Stephanie’s relationship lacked the spark it once had, and their family life now consists of balancing work and their two children; leaving li...