The Big Four Broadcast networks continue to shy away from sci fi and fantasy programming as the Fall 2021 schedule only offers two shows of interest to genre fans.
The Big Four broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC) have all had their Upfront presentations to the advertisers this week and have unveiled their schedule for Fall 2021, but it has not gone so well for sci fi and fantasy programming. At least there are no new cancellations (still waiting to hear word on NBC’s Debris and Manifest), but there is also little in the way of new genre entries heading to the schedule in Fall. NBC has one new sci fi drama in the works and CBS added a supernatural comedy to its lineup, but that is it. ABC and FOX both bowed out of genre programming, and as of now, nothing is set for mid-season either.
NBC gave a series order for La Brea (which has been in development since last year) and that one focuses on a sinkhole that opens up in the middle of LA and leads to a primeval world (see the full description below). The show actually gets a pretty comfy timeslot on Tuesdays following The Voice, so it has a chance at finding an audience next season. Over on CBS, the supernatural comedy Ghosts follows two people who buy a bed and breakfast only to find that it is haunted (full synopsis is below). That one also gets a decent timeslot, nestled amidst the Thursday comedy lineup that leads off with the Big Bang Theory spin-off series Young Sheldon.
As mentioned above, no decision has been made on the fate of NBC’s Debris or Manifest. But if one or both return, they will not hit the schedule until mid-season. That network also has the time travel pilot Echo which could possibly land mid-year or get pushed to the next season. CBS’ Evil is still waiting for its second season premiere, but that one has been moved to Paramount+, so it will not make an appearance on the network’s linear schedule. ABC was considering the fantasy series Epic, but it looks like that one might get pushed to the 2022-23 season if it happens at all. FOX had no genre entries among its pilots.
The CW will be announcing its schedule next week and that network will have plenty of sci fi and fantasy options as usual (I will release the preliminary Fall schedule of sci fi and fantasy shows at that point). But those tend to appeal to younger viewers and it would sure be nice to have a Lost or a Fringe or a Person of Interest to get excited about from the Big Four (perhaps La Brea?). But as the television landscape continues to change, the old school nets cling to their comfort shows, offering mostly just procedurals, sitcoms, and unscripted fare, and sci fi fans must continue to look elsewhere.
Following is the official description for both shows that will be hitting the schedule in Fall:
Le Brea (NBC): An epic adventure begins when a massive sinkhole opens in the middle of Los Angeles, pulling hundreds of people and buildings into its depths. Those who fell in find themselves in a mysterious and dangerous primeval land, where they have no choice but to band together to survive. Meanwhile, the rest of the world desperately seeks to understand what happened. In the search for answers, one family torn apart by this disaster will have to unlock the secrets of this inexplicable event to find a way back to each other.
The cast includes Natalie Zea, Eoin Macken, Jon Seda, Nicholas Gonzalez, Chiké Okonkwo, Karina Logue, Zyra Gorecki, Jack Martin, Veronica St. Clair, Rohan Mirchandaney, Lily Santiago, Josh McKenzie and Chloe De Los Santos.
Writer David Appelbaum executive produces with Avi Nir, Alon Shtruzman, Peter Traugott, Rachel Kaplan, Steven Lilien, Bryan Wynbrandt, Ken Woodruff, Arika Lisanne Mittman and Adam Davidson.
Ghosts (NBC): A single-camera comedy about Samantha (Rose McIver) and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar), a cheerful freelance journalist and up-and-coming chef from the city, respectively, who throw both caution and money to the wind when they decide to convert a huge rundown country estate they inherited into a bed & breakfast—only to find it’s inhabited by the many spirits of deceased residents who now call it home. The departed souls are a close-knit, eclectic group that includes a saucy Prohibition-era lounge singer, a pompous 1700’s Militiaman, a ‘60s hippie fond of hallucinogens, an overly upbeat ‘80s scout troop leader, a cod-obsessed Viking explorer from 1009, a slick ‘90s finance bro, a sarcastic and witty Native from the 1500s, and a society woman and wife of an 1800’s robber baron who is Samantha’s ancestor, to name a few. If the spirits were anxious about the commotion a renovation and B&B will create in their home, it’s nothing compared to when they realize Samantha is the first live person who can see and hear them.
Joe Port & Joe Wiseman, Mathew Baynton, Jim Howick, Simon Farnaby, Laurence Rickard, Ben Willbond and Martha Howe-Douglas; Alison Carpenter, Debra Hayward, and Alison Owen (Monumental Television); and Angie Stephenson (BBC Studios) are the executive producers for CBS Studios in association with Lionsgate Television and BBC Studios’ Los Angeles production arm. Trent O’Donnell is an executive producer (pilot only) and directed the pilot from a script by Port & Wiseman. Based on the BBC Studios distributed format.
Ghosts stars Rose McIver as Samantha, Utkarsh Ambudkar as Jay, Danielle Pinnock as Alberta, Brandon Scott Jones as Isaac, Richie Moriarty as Pete, Asher Grodman as Trevor, Sheila Carrasco as Flower, Román Zaragoza as Sasappis, Devan Chandler Long as Thorfinn, and Rebecca Wisocky as Hetty.
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