The finale season is upon us, as I wrote last post, and I hope you will catch your favorite before it disappears for the summer…or forever.

This was the week that the broadcast networks announced their upcoming fall schedules, known in the industry as “Upfronts.”  And the short, sharp summation of those previews is that the fall season won’t feature all that many new shows.  Fox and ABC are adding two shows each, NBC has four and CBS has five. Thirteen new shows spread across four networks. That’s not much of a new season. Folded into the networks’ flame-fanning announcements was the acknowledgment that the strike had made it difficult to get new shows up and running in time for a fall premiere.

However, a couple of surprises were announced this week as we got a glimpse of what will be in store for us next season lineups.  I have got to tell you what “Bubble” shows made it in case you were wondering.

On Fox, I was surprised to know that Kelsey Grammer show, Back To You, was not picked up but the Brad Garrett vehicle, ‘Til Death, got a reprieve.  That poor show has been battered around a bit but, at least it had the good fortune to follow or precede American idol, which never hurts anyone.  Terminator, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, got picked up but my poor, New Amsterdam, did not.  Darn it, now I’ll never know if that guy found his true love.

Over on CBS, looks like The New Adventures of Old Christine will get another year as will, How I Met Your Mother.  The rookie, Big Bang Theory, was truly a standout this year and easily won another season but the beloved, Moonlight, was not so immortal after all.  Cane is gone as well.

ABC announced that Grey’s Anatomy, Lost, Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters, Private Practice, Pushing Daisies, Samantha Who?, Dirty Sexy Money and Boston Legal will all live to see another day but that Men in Trees, October Road and Women’s Murder Club were gone.

NBC tells us that Chuck and Life made it back to their second season as did Lipstick Jungle, with Brooke Shields.  New shows will be Knight Rider, Christian Slater in My Own Worst Enemy, Kate and Kim and Crusoe on Friday night.

Last but not least…at least for one more year, the CW.  Things don’t look good for the struggling network as it might just disappear all together if ratings don’t improve.  Good news, though, Reaper got a reprieve and the 90210 revisit will premiere on Tuesdays. 

Other than that, pretty standard fare for the CW with America’s Next Top Model, Smallville and Supernatural, probably all in their last seasons.  Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill and Everybody Hates Chris will see another season and a new drama called Surviving the Filthy Rich will be seen on Tuesdays.

There might be a few changes and shuffles in the schedule as we approach the fall, but it is interesting to see the new from the networks to this point.  It will be fun to see it all play out.

Oh yeah…I predict a guy named David will win American Idol this season.

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