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My friends all know I write a TV blog. They are not, however, as into TV as I am and very few of them have ever actually read my blog. They just wait until they see me to ask if I’ve heard anything juicy about their favorite shows. And, up until now, the only interest they’ve had in the Writer’s Strike is seeing the pictures of me walking the line during my recent trip out to LA. So, I knew it was finally starting to affect the average viewer when this is what I started getting these type of comments every time I see someone, “Rae, the Writer’s Strike still happening. Can’t you do something about this situation?”
Oh, how I wish I could! Not just because I miss my favorite shows. It’d also save me some money. Take the past two weeks and my ever increasing book bill. Normally I’d be busy trying to catch up on saved TV shows from November and December, trying to clear off my DVR before February sweeps. Instead I’ve had my nose buried in half a dozen books. Since I go through books like most people go through candy, it’s just getting more and more expensive with every day that passes. I’ve been to my local Barnes & Noble more times in the past week than I was in the months of September and October combined. And I’ll admit it (mostly because even my boss has noticed my lack of posts lately), it’s also partly responsbible for my lack of daily posts. My plans to chat about The Amazing Race’s lackluster season or the much more satisifying season five premiere of The L Word keep getting postponed because… just one more chapter. I’ll put the book down as soon as I see what happens next, ok?
If my friends aren’t demanding that I stop the Writer’s Strike, they’re asking me when ________________ is coming back and how many new episodes they’ll get. Weirdly enough, I don’t really know the answer to this question. I’m just as lost as the rest of America when it comes to this question. I have to check my “To Record” list every night to see if there’s anything new on but that’s gotten frustrating. So I decided it was time to break down and track down the latest episode numbers. I’ve compiled a list of how many new episodes are left of my favorite shows, mostly from TV Guide’s Strike Chart though I did have to search for some elsewhere. If I’m missing your favorite show, let me know and I’ll add it to the list!
New Episode Countdown:
- 30 Rock: 0
- Aliens in America: 7 [returns Feb 10]
- Army Wives: 0
- Brothers & Sisters: 1
- Bones: 3
- Boston Legal: 2
- Burn Notice: 0
- Chuck: 0
- The Closer: 0
- Desperate Housewives: 0
- Dirty Sexy Money: 3
- ER: 0
- Eureka: 0
- Friday Night Lights: 3
- Gossip Girl: 0
- Grey’s Anatomy: 0
- Heroes: 0
- How I Met Your Mother: 0
- It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: 0
- Jericho: 7 [returns Feb 12]
- Journeyman: 0
- Kyle XY: 7
- The L Word: 10
- Life: 0
- Life is Wild: 1
- Lost: 7
- Men in Trees: 11
- Moonlight: 0
- My Name is Earl: 0
- The New Adventures of Old Christine: 8 [returns Feb 4]
- Nip/Tuck: 4
- Numb3rs: 1
- The Office: 0
- One Tree Hill: 7
- Prison Break: 3
- Private Practice: 0
- Pushing Daisies: 0
- Psych: 4
- Reaper: 2
- Samantha Who?: 3 [returns Feb 4]
- Saving Grace: 0
- Scrubs: 3
- Shark: 0
- Smallville: 6
- Supernatural: 4 [returns Jan 31]
- The Tudors: 10 [returns Mar 30]
- Ugly Betty: 0
- The Unit: 0
Another helpful resource: Futon Critic’s Strike Guide
The 1Q scheduling has been an absolute nightmare, because some shows are returning with new eps, some shows are returning as repeats, some shows aren’t returning at all! Then there are shows like “Life” and (I believe) “Rules of Engagement” that received a full season order, but who are 1) out of new eps and 2) booted out of their timeslot.
I guess, in your professional opinion, if I had to guess at whether shows like these two would be back *at all* in 1Q, what would you say? I have to make recommendations to my boss about which shows we should do 1Q estimates for, and I’m at a loss with some of these shows…
What, Heroes isn’t good enough for a bold, huh? HUH?
Also, I talked to a Smallville writer on the picket line, and he said they should have 6 more to air (he said they’re filming the last two right now). I’m pretty sure the 6 includes the ones being filmed right now, because having 8 would just be ludicrous. Even FNL only has 5 left right now.
Also, 30 Rock has 1 more episode that’s airing this week (I thought the one last year was the last, but, again, I learned differently on the picket line). And My Name Is Earl has more than the other comedies, but I don’t know how many at this point.
Only two more episodes of Chuck? When’s it coming back? All I see on my DVR is Prison Break and SCC on Mondays.
Thanks for posting this! I’ve been trying to figure this out all day… much easier to just read your list!
You know… I really think JS has been writing Chuck during the strike.
They were only supposed to have one new ep. in the new year and now they have 2? And AB said in an interview that he knew they were up writing 1-12 until midnight on the night of the strike… doesn’t this now add up to 13 episodes?? Or am I displaying my really bad math skills again?
Eolivet: In 1Q? Of this year? Well… it might be worth it for Rules if they’re keeping that on Mondays with their comedy quartet. Or is that the slot New Adventures is going? *checks* Looks like it is which I guess makes sense 2 1/2 Men and HIMYM and even BBT all get better ratings. So Rules will be gone as of Feb and I’d bet it’s not going to show up anywhere else…. possibly ever. I still don’t get why it was brought back at all. If CBS has any good comedies on tap, it’ll probably get ditched again.
I don’t think you’ll see Life in 1Q at all. It’s a serial so I don’t think it’ll come back until they have new episodes and they are trying to reel people back in. As for others… well I’d bet on CBS’ schedule will be full of reality and repeats of their big hits (the CSIs) soon. The other nets at least have a few mid-season shows on tap to help liven up their schedules but I think we’re more likely to see repeats of less serial shows on those networks. (Although, I really can’t tell because it seems like they are all burning off their new episodes right away and then moving into reality/gameshow hell… with a few of their better performing dramas filling the empty slots.)
Hmmm, that wasn’t any help, eh?
P-C: HI! I knew there was one show with zero that I hadn’t bolded. Poor Heroes… it’s bolded now so that it doesn’t feel left out. I think most people know that one is gone for the foreseeable future, though.
According to TVGuide, 6 is right for Smallville. 8 would be crazy. Even 6 seems like a lot. How’d they get so many more than others? I didn’t think they started any later than other shows… I knew about 30 Rock but I don’t watch so I didn’t include it. TVG says My Name… only has 1 left at this point. They had two 1-hr episodes which ends up hurting the count but even having 1 at this point is better than most other comedies, most of which ran out of new episodes last year.
Yep, two more for Chuck. I have no idea when it’s back, though. American Gladiators has taken it’s spot on Mondays at the moment and I’m not sure if it’s staying there or not. The PR I got for NBC’s schedule in early January didn’t mention Chuck so they may be holding on to those episodes for a little while.
Jo: I think Chuck has always had 2 new episodes for the new year. I think TVG’s Strike Chart has always listed them with 13 produced episodes. I’d have to look up AB saying that… maybe he was just wrong about the number? I’d have to go back and see what quotes were given early on. It’s so hard to tell at this point because it was such a confusing list originally. I am pretty sure Zach, Adam, and Yvonne all were talking about 2 more episodes when Spads talked to them back in December so they must have just finished filming those around that time.
Journeyman is officially gone now, right?
And how many does Numbers have left? (it’s not my favorite show, but you’ve covered most of my favorite shows.)
I’m figuring The Closer and Saving Grace are both out of new Episodes, but they both run on weird schedules anyway.
Oh, and does Shark have any episodes left? (As you can tell from my list, I am required to watch all law enforcement shows set in L.A.)
Yep, Rebecca, Journeyman is officially gone. Actually, I’m not sure we can say that. I don’t think anything’s being officially cancelled at this point. All reports say it won’t be back, however. Either way, there are no new episodes left.
Numb3rs has2 episodes left and Shark has just 1 which I believe airs this week.
You’re correct about The Closer and Saving Grace. As of right now, they have no new episodes filmed. I’m not sure when they were supposed to be back in production however. It’s possible that they aren’t supposed to come back until next month and, if the Strike can get resolved sometime soon, their shooting schedule may not be interrupted too much. One can only hope!
Here’s the AB interview: http://www.tvguide.com/news/chuck-adam-baldwin/071126-01
He very clearly says indicates that ep. 1-13 came about after the strike. And I don’t question that the actors were saying they had 2 left in December… the ep. in question would have been written well before then. Personally, I think they got the full season pick-up based on that last script showing up after the deadline. I have NO proof of this whatsoever, but pieces add up and I’ve been thinking it for some time.
WORD on the money-saving. I had to shell out for Netflix! (Yeah, reading would probably be a better call, but at least I can justify the Netflix by saying it helps with the blogging…and there are so many shows I need to get caught up on!)
*Cries and cries about Gossip Girl* The only time I’ve ever resented the writers was at the very end of the last episode. Then I remembered to go back to resenting the suits.
[...] from 6 to 11 (those extra 2 hours being used to catch up on taped shows). Every time I update the Episode Countdown, I wince at having to bold another show. Here’s hoping that this deal between the DGA and [...]