There’s been some developments over at the Fox Network ahead of their Upfront presentation where they announce their fall line-up. Biggest and most bumming news: Human Target has been cancelled. Also axed are Lie To Me, Breaking In, Traffic Lights and The Chicago Code. The cancellations of Human Target and Chicago Code have been trending on Twitter as fans of both shows have been voicing their displeasure. On a personal note, I gave Chicago Code one viewing and wasn’t really grabbed. But Human Target is definitely a loss, although I can see why it went. The real charm of the show during the first season was its quirkiness, in addition to Mark Valley’s easy charm as Chance, Chi McBride’s typically great supporting work as Winston, and Jackie Earle Hailey’s awesome take on the enigmatic Guerrero.
Their operation worked on the fringe of society, and in its back alleys and underground. But in Season 2, they went “legitimate” with the inclusion Indira Varma as billionaire financier and new boss, Ilsa Pucci, Janet Montgomery as former thief, Ames. And the formula went to the crapper. Gone were the weekly love interest as sexual tension between Chance and Ilsa grew; and especially, the company’s creative solutions to obstacles such as financing and travel. When a client in another country needed help, all Chance and company had to do was hop in Ilsa’s private jet and get there. The show had interesting and similar elements to past shows such as Stingray and Vengeance Unlimited that were just paved over with the retooling. As a result, Season 2 never really gelled like Season 1 did and thus, it’s gone.
There’s also news on pilots that have been picked up by the network, and which ones weren’t. In a nutshell:
Picked Up:
Alcatraz, from J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Prods. and Warner Bros. TV. The crime drama revolving around Alcatraz and the team investigating the mysterious reappearance of its 1960s inhabitants in the present stars Lost‘s Jorge Garcia.
The Finder, a Bones spinoff from sister studio 20th TV. The drama, which centers on a military-trained “finder” (Geoff Stults) who helps locate lost items or persons in the Florida Keys. This was intro-ed as a backdoor pilot recently on Bones.
The New Girl, a Zooey Deschanel comedy from 20th, centers on a quirky female teacher who becomes roommates with three guys: a man-child, a player and a cynic.
I Hate My Teenage Daughter, a Jaime Pressly/Katie Finneran comedy from Warner Bros., is a go. The multicamera laugher centers on two women who have daughters like the girls who once picked on them in high school.
Not Picked Up:
Pilot Locke & Key, a thriller about a family in crisis as they move into a haunted house, is dead. Miranda Otto and Nick Stahl starred.
Pilot Weekends at Bellevue, starring Lauren Ambrose, set in a psych unit at Bellevue hospital, as a potential complement — and eventual successor — to the recently renewed House.
Pilot Iceland, a Zach Gilford romantic comedy from Sony.
Pilot Outnumbered, a British family comedy adaptation starring Cheech Marin and Ugly Betty‘s Ana Ortiz.
Pilot Council of Dads, Kyle Bornheimer-starring, single-camera comedy about a group of men united by death.
Pilot Tagged, a hybrid comedy starring Gary Cole as an emotionally absent father from Sony.
You can click over to THR for more details. In the meantime, I’m going to go write my letter to Fox asking for a mid-season spinoff titled Guerrero *sniff*.