The return of Genre TV

With all the 6 major networks facing declining ratings -even for the popular reality programs - NBC has suffered the most, tumbling down to fourth place. And while reality programs remain thier bread and butter, the networks are finally bringing back genre shows, though as these fall schedules unwind, they are up against some established, and very heavy-hitters. NBC has added a new sci-fi themed show called "Fanthom" to Mondays and what the peacock network calls "an ambitious action-adventure about a mysterious new form of sea life that begins to appear in oceans all over the earth." "Medium", its "real-life" procedural physic/cop show and a huge midseason hit got an early pick-up this spring and will return for a second year. Überproducer Jerry Bruckheimer will launch "E-Ring", a Pentagon based action/adventure series on Wednesday, bumping the aging "West Wing" (and probably, last season) to Sunday. While "Scrubs" is not genre based, it is one the funniest sitcoms (along with "Arrested Development") on TV and uses a lot of fantasy dream sequences. While it was given an early renewal back in February, NBC has decided to hold the series until winter (along with aging "Fear Factor"). Gone is the expensive CGI produced, but ultimately boring, "Father of the Pride", "Medical Investigation" and "Revelations". Meanwhile, the network will return to movies on Saturday and will probably air these movies then: a sequel to "10.5" called, "10.5: The Apocalypse" and a three-hour remake of "The Poseidon Adventure". Meanwhile, ABC flushed with the success of "Lost" (which remains on Wednesday, but moves to 8pm) and "Desperate Housewives" with Emmy winner Alfre Woodardwill ("Star Trek: First Contact") joining the cast, will add the sci fi themed "Invasion" from Shaun Cassidy ("American Gothic", "Roar")on Wednesday at 9pm. The series is about odd things that begin to happen in a Florida town after a violent hurricane. After years of trying to avoid scheduling anything big on Thursday -as every network did not want to go up against NBC’s once powerful "must see" lineup, both ABC and The WB are taking an either bold moves, or looking to dump some shows real quick as they take on the new powerhouse of CBS. "Alias" jumps to Thursday at 7pm (now opposite FOX’s "The O.C." and CBS’ "Survivor" and NBC’s quickly fading "Joey" and "Will & Grace") followed by "The Night Stalker" (opposite NBC’s "Apprentice" and CBS’ "CSI") from former "The X-Files" writer/producer Frank Spotnitz and starring Stuart Townsend ("Queen of the Damned"), which is a remake of the cult classic 1970's series. The alphabet network also has two procedural dramas for midseason starring some genre favorites. Orlando Jones ("Time Machine") and Martin Landau ("Space: 1999")will star in "The Evidence". "In Justice" will have former "Twin Peaks" star Kyle MacLachlan as a lawyer who helps get innocent people out of jail. Like the Peacock network, ABC will stick to movies on Saturday night where one movie will be the 4-hour remake of "The Ten Commandments". The WB will pick up the new Tuesday drama "Supernatural" starring Jensen Ackles ("Samallville") and Jared Padalecki ("Gilmore Girls", "House of Wax") and its about two estranged brothers who encounter unusual ghosts and local creatures straight out of American folk lore and urban legends during a road trip from San Francisco back home to Los Angeles and go on an adventure in order to track down the forces responsible for their mother's murder 20 years earlier. The WB feels there might be a chance to claim a foothold onto Thursday and will move "Smallville" their for its fifth (and probably last) season along with "Everwood", while the unkillable "Charmed" was picked up for season eight (though this will be its final year)and will remain on Sunday. CBS’ answer to NBC’s "Medium" is called "The Ghost Whisperer", a new drama that leads off Friday from "real-life" physic James Van Praagh and stars Jennifer Love Hewitt as a newlywed who can communicate with the dead. That show then goes into "Threshold" from David Heyman ("Harry Potter") and David Goyer ("Blade: Trinity") and starring Brent Spiner ("Star Trek: The Next Generation") and is about how the government responds to an alien threat. From buzz-to-bust "Joan of Arcadia" was cancelled. Waiting in the wings is "The Unit", a special covert agency that goes on undercover missions to save, you know, the world. It stars genre vets Dennis Haysbert ("24", "Now and Again") and Robert Patrick ("The X-Files").