Regarding FF plot lines, as far as I understand, the book has several interesting avenues. For example, *spoiler* the book suggests another FF that extends far into the future (think millions of years) where no one sees the future except a few — and then the question is why did those people see the future? *end spoiler*

- pair FF after Lost
-guest cast a big name actor that usually doesn’t do TV

-develop characters so we give a crap…I have watched every
episode and for the life of me cant list a single characters name

-cut budget (probably isnt all that expensive since the explosive
pilot…and they use the same stock footage of Fiennes character
every episode.)

-dumb it down (unfortunately this is a way to keep people watching)
-get with JJ Abrams as a consultant & make FF part of the
Lost-verse

-get with ABC to plan a course of action that maps out what they
might go with the show in a 2nd or 3rd season(this was the best
idea that ABC/Lost could have done when it was treading water S3

For V
– sink every spare dollar you have into a huge March relaunch…
Im talking billboards, giveaway contests, publicity stunts.
Basically take everything they did before it started and do it
again….tenfold.

– Come back with a 2 or 3 hour movie relaunch in March…on any
day of the week besides timeslots with American Idol in it.

– no.more.Morena.Baccarin.in.short.hair

– torture Scott Wolf at least 3 times an episode. Seriously,
get creative with it too…drown him in pudding, set him on fire
underground, scoop his eyes out with a spoon, run him over
with a steam roller…etc…etc…etc.

The Middle is a lock for renewal. It may not seem like it, but it’s just the kind of thing ABC needs. It’s performing solidly. I can’t really explain I just have a really good feeling about it.

As far as my own viewing habits, the only one I watch is Cougar Town (never watched Flash Forward, checked out the V pilot, it was okay nothing special, thought the middle was trying to hard) and I’m considering stopping on Cougar Town it just has an addictive quality and Courteney Cox is very entertaining.

As for V… It’s still too soon to call, but as long as it doesn’t fall too harshly after the hiatus, I think it’ll be fine.

FF is in danger for 2010 though. It really needs to focus on the plot, not the characters, the world lost 20 million people in 137 seconds, Hitler couldn’t even achieve that, and the storyline is focused on infidelity and some guys self-esteem?

The Middle, it seems decent, family oriented sitcom, at least it’s different in the fact that there isn’t a Homer Simpson like dad, (Family Guy, According to Jim, Still Standing, Grounded For Life, etc) if ABC wants to develop a comedy block and be serious about it, then The Middle is needed for 2010.

Cougar Town is also essential to the comedy block’s success, along with Modern Family, it will almost definitely get a 2010 renewal, it’s been getting 3-3.2 ratings in the 18-49 demo, except for sports and thanksgiving weeks, which is fairly decent I guess.

“Fast Forward” is a mess, but possibly salvageable. It is unfair to compare FF with “Lost,” one of the greatest series in the history of television. The greatness of “Lost” is in its characters, and the fact that after a few short hours of “Lost” back in 2004, we were in love with the characters. “Fast Forward” has not achieved that intimacy in that we care deeply for the characters. “Lost” had us immediately, caring for Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Locke, Sun and Jin, and Charlie (gulp).

With all due respect, you guys make it sound like the sky is falling for flashforward. As for V, i see the show probably be back for a limited 13-15 episode next season.

The best solution for FF will be a much shorter season like LOST. A season with 17 episodes will suffice

That being said the show has been somewhat of a disappointment to me. It had enough hype and support from ABC to become the next Lost but the material by the writers and actors weren’t even in the same league as JJ Abrams, Matthew Fox, and company during the early days of Lost. When someone died on FF(wont spoil incase you havent all caught up) I said “oh my god they killed off a main character already!” and then thought back to previous episodes if I could remember anything about that character. I could not. The character development for Lost is almost as good as the mystery of the island without severely taking viewers away from the castaways situationm. FF has an excellent premise, but so far the execution has been half assed at best. Couple that with unlikeable cardboard characters and you have a show that more and more people will stop watching each episode.

I actually think in many ways FlashForwards pace is better, but where I think they have failed in Flashforward is that I don’t see the universe really feeling like something that huge did happen. Not enough of people really wigging out, not enough of an active government, ect. But the pace of what has been discovered that feels very real.

V is far too early to tell. I think it looks shaky, but it remains to be seen whether people will come back after the hiatus.

Cougar Town is doing well in the ratings (granted, partially due to the lead-in). It’s also an ABC production, and we know how they love to renew their own comedies regardless of the ratings (e.g. According to Jim, Better off Ted, Scrubs…). I see this coming back unless ABC decides to give up the comedy block.

The Middle depends on development. Its ratings aren’t very good, but it might stick around if development doesn’t go well for next season.

Of course I like (that don’t love) both shows. But personally I think V is moving way, way to quick for something that is designed as a series and not a mini series.

V.. depends on scheduling. That 3.1 it was getting was all the weak scripted competition in the hour (NCIS for procedural types, and that’s it). Also nostalgia will have worn off. Highly doubtful to come back.

The Middle… also depends on scheduling. I’ve been saying for months it gets paired with Dancing, which should artificially inflate ratings to the point where it gets another season. Any other timeslot, though, and the odds drop dramatically.

Cougar Town gets a 13 episode second season, mostly because they don’t want to cancel both Bill Lawrence shows at once. Unless a pilot of his gets picked up, in which case it is toast.

-
So yeah, too many external factors (scheduling, pilot pickups, producer relationships) to state conclusively at this point.

FF has a limited storyline. I did hear that if a 2nd season is made that there could be another Flash Forward event.

I think networks should cut out the continue series and keep them to one series. People are fed up of stories which could go on for 5 years just to see an end. Self contained episodes are the way forward!

FlashForward is actually a NEW idea in plots. The possibilities are almost endless if the writers are trapped by idiot network execs or just plain ‘tested’ habits.

‘Modern Family’ seems mostly like an attempt to try to piss off mid-American in an event to get buzz on the West Coast and Metro markets. Like Adam Lambert, it won’t last. Nothing too much to love about this since it would still contain so much which is either offense or just obnoxious.

‘Cougar Town’? Seriously? I’m think they are so desperate to capture the advertising demo on this that they are ignoring the obvious lack of quality programming. And who knows? Maybe the demo alone with be enough like it was with Sex & The City (which completely sucked from a creative standpoint).

FlashForward will be the same, despite the falling ratings. Perhaps ABC will move this show to a different time (perhaps right after Desperate Housewives or right after V). I’ve also heard it’s doing well internationally than it is here in America. So that’s something ABC SHOULD (if they don’t) think about.

V can go either way. I just think V has been damaged partly because of the alleged anti-Obama allegory.

The Middle is practically toast, plus it’s not that good of a show, and it’s being blasted by the critics.

Of course what the creative future of the show is would also rest on how they intend to explain the flash forwards. If its a big global conspiracy at the heart of the flash forwards then its relatively easy to continue the show without more flash forwards. Personally I suspect that they’d continue by using another flash forward, only not on a global scale. It’ll only effect a small group of people and they’d all see a different date. That would allow them to layer in multiple story arcs over multiple time lines alongside the bigger question of ‘why only these people…’

@Alex: I can see your point but I’m sure that ABC will hype the Lisa Kudrow debut episode of Cougar Town enormously as a mini Friends reunion (of sorts). And lord alone knows ABC what they’d do if Jennifer Aniston ever got a guest role. All 3 Friends girls back together again on the same show? Ratings bonanza.

I’m sure Cougar Town will get a full second season. Like I said above, I’d be shocked if it didn’t.

By having another one. They’ll probably figure out the cause, try to stop it before another happens, fail, and there’s season 2. Doc Jensen of EW had the theory that for people in the present to essentially have their minds displaced several months ahead means that everyones mind on April 29th was also displaced already to another future date. His theories are always far out and rarely come true but regardless, it’s easy to assume that the show will continue to have flash forwards as opposed to just having one and spending the rest of the series (if there is a rest) only focused on the one that already at that point would have happened.

LOST took a while to roll into acceptance. Most importantly, this class of viewers does not relish being enticed, cliff-hung, and then dropped in a vacuum. Getting involved, to them, takes time and attention, and most viewers of this class do not have unlimited amounts of either to spare.

The next time ABC comes up with an extensively promoted and apparently cool offer in the Sci-Fi genre, many won’t want to risk being toyed with again. There is lots of competition. Dumb move by ABC.

I’d be surprised if V was back next year. The numbers are good enough right now to bring it back but I just don’t think ABC wants to. Of course if there midseason shows all bomb then they might be left with little choice to bring it back, I’m not sure they can get away with two seasons of near complete axes of new dramas.

The Middle’s fate will likely rest on how the midseason comedies shape up, that would be new look Scrubs, Better off Ted and the new comedy and what the comedy development slate looks like for next season. If the three midseason shows fail to catch on and ABC don’t have a couple of strong comedies in development The Middle will be safe for at least a small season two order next year.

Cougar Town is safe for now unless the bottom falls out during the back nine, which given the (lack of) strength and depth in episodes so far isn’t impossible. However the Modern Family lead-in should keep it afloat for now whether it can stay afloat without Family is another issue entirely.