Season in Review: FOX – The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

By: Adam Wright

Well folks, the 2009-2010 TV season is pretty much over. It has been an eventful season, filled with triumphs, defeats, and a whole lot of controversy.

Let’s take one final look at the season that’s past. I’ll go through all the broadcast networks and breakdown the good, the bad, and the ugly.

First with FOX

The Good:

- The brightest spot of the past FOX season, and probably one of the biggest movers of the season, has been the rise of the new series Glee. Let’s face it, Glee was a hit even before it debuted.

The new series has stucken a chord with its fans thanks to its musical numbers and colourful characters. FOX has also done an amazing job marketing this show, and dishing out all the merchandise they can. DVDs, albums, hit singles on iTunes, and even a tour!

Glee is certainly not for everyone, but with the network already renewing it for two more seasons, it will be a force to be reckoned with for a while.

- Remember when FOX couldn’t compete on Thursday nights against juggernauts like Survivor, CSI, and Grey’s Anatomy? For years, the network struggled and struggled. Boy those days are over!

Finally, FOX has found its winning formula on Thursday nights with Bones and Fringe. Did you know Bones BEAT Survivor on a few occasions this season? It happened, well deserved may I add.

Fringe has also hit its stride in its new timeslot against Grey’s Anatomy and CSI. I said it last year when I did my season preview; this was a ballsy move by FOX. But I liked the move because I knew they could be competitive.

Well, not to toot my own horn, but it looks like I was right.

- Another night FOX seems to be doing well with its audience is on Sunday nights with its Animation Domination line-up. Sure it isn’t winning the race, but it is hanging tough, and it’s for some of the show, they are winning their demographic.

The line-up of The Simpsons, The Cleveland Show, Family Guy, and American Dad is doing a great job maintaining the fort. All I ask for is NOT to five Seth McFarlane another show. Or else we’ll have to change the name of the line-up to “MacFarlane Domination” night, and that doesn’t have the same ring to it, doesn’t it?

The Bad

- I really really hate putting this in the “bad” section, but I really have no choice here.

Human Target starring Mark Valley was sort of slatted as the one that will replace the departing 24. And it did deliver to its viewers.

The problem is…what viewers? The show has struggled in the ratings, and FOX shuffling it all over the schedule didn’t help either. I feel like if the network would have been patient and left it in one time-slot, it would have caught on. Unfortunately, it didn’t.

Human Target has been picked-up surprisingly for a second season. However, the network has decided to ship to too Friday night. This is all too familiar, remember that certain Dollhouse show?

The Ugly

- Many call it “The worst season ever!” Of course I’m talking about the once almighty American Idol.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s still getting ratings NBC would kill for, but it’s nowhere near what they use to be. What didn’t help was the worst set of finalist in recent history. Seriously, how bad were these finalists?

Then there’s the heart of the show leaving after this season, Simon Cowell. I cannot see the show being able to recover, especially with Cowell gone. And speaking of this past season, where to start with Ryan Seacrest! We can’t count the number of times he has been borderline douchy/inappropriate.

Congrats to Lee DeWyze for winning this year. But I can’t help to feel like he’ll be the next Kris Allen, or Taylor Hicks.

Posted by Adam Wright on May 27, 2010. Filed under Features, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry