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July 2006 - Strategy Magazine
Special Report: Fall TV Preview

The shows

CTV

By Pia Musngi

Justice

CTV/Fox

Wednesdays, 9-10 p.m.

the story: A behind-the-scenes look at a legal dream team's strategy to win the most high-profile criminal cases, using shadow juries, trained expert witnesses and accident recreations.

the cast: Victor Garber (Alias).

the backing: Warner Bros. Television and Jerry Bruckheimer Television, executive producers Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman and Jonathan Shapiro.

the verdict: The opening scene is straight out of the O.J. Simpson trial and the fast pace and high production values may whet the appetite of crime-lovin' CSI watchers. Should prove a good lead-in for CSI: NY.

Smith

CTV/CBS

Mondays, 9-10 p.m.

the story: A man leads a double life as an expert thief and a family man in this multi-layered crime drama.

the cast: Emmy Award winner Ray Liotta (Goodfellas), Virginia Madsen (Sideways), and Simon Baker (The Guardian).

the backing: Warner Bros. Television; executive producer is the Emmy Award-winning John Wells (ER, The West Wing).

the verdict: Smith is like the Schwarzenegger flick, True Lies - without the laughs. The show's most interesting aspect isn't the formulaic heist and chase scenes, but rather the interplay between Liotta and Madsen as thief and long-suffering wife. Smith is up against the new FOX show, Vanished (airing on Global), but CTV is hoping star power will be pulling this one for the night.

The Nine

CTV/ABC

Saturdays, 10-11 p.m.

the story: Nine people are inexorably linked after surviving a 52-hour hostage standoff during a bank heist gone bad.

the cast: Tim Daly (Wings), Chi McBride (Boston Public) and Scott Wolf (Party of Five).

the backing: Warner Bros. Television, Sunset Road Productions, executive producer/writer Hank Steinberg (Without a Trace).

the verdict: ABC gave the show a decent slot on Wednesdays, post-Lost, but the Canuck strategy buries the show on Saturday nights. Then again, its only competition in that slot is the Canuck sci-fi series ReGenesis on Global. May win the night by default. If anything, it's good to see Scott Wolf working again.

30 Rock

CTV/NBC

Saturdays, 9:30 -10 p.m.

the story: Another behind-the-scenes of a live TV show entry, this one's about a comedy writer forced to deal with the egos of a new-to-TV exec and an unbalanced movie star.

the cast: Emmy Award winner Tina Fey (Saturday Night Live), Alec Baldwin (The Cooler).

the backing: NBC Universal Television Studio and Broadway Video Television; Tina Fey is writer, executive producer and star; Lorne Michaels is also executive producer.

the verdict: The show plays out like an extended SNL skit - which ain't a bad thing, though it does drag a bit. Kudos to Alec Baldwin as the over-inflated network suit with a thing for GE convection ovens. Schedule-wise, it's success will likely be tied to how well Let's Rob..., its lead-in, fares.

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