After last week's incredibly full slate of television premieres (including 17 new shows and over 30 returning ones), this week was a little less crowded, but still very eventful.
The biggest news was the first cancellation of the season: Fox's critically acclaimed but low-rated "Lone Star." The writing was on the wall ever since its premiere last week garnered a mere 4.1 million viewers, but it is nonetheless a sad reflection of the state of broadcast television when the most daring and unique pilot of this year's crop gets axed after only two episodes.
In more positive news, the much-hyped Britney Spears episode of Fox's "Glee" hit a series high in the coveted 18-49 ratings demographic, proving that the pop-culture phenomenon is in no danger of slowing down. The episode itself was even less plot-driven than usual, with a basic structure in place only to set up the Britney songs, but it did succeed in providing a wonderful showcase for breakout character Brittany (Heather Morris).
Newcomer "No Ordinary Family," starring Michael Chiklis and Julie Benz as the parents of a family that acquires superpowers, debuted to decent numbers Tuesday night. Although the pilot proved to be more generic ("ordinary," if you will) than the previews suggested, ABC can be happy that it didn't follow the current trend of their other new series and stumble straight out of the gate.
Highlight of the Week: Will Travers (James Badge Dale) and Katherine Rhumor (Miranda Richardson) finally made contact (not counting their brief interaction at a cocktail party a few weeks ago) on Sunday's episode of "Rubicon," AMC's criminally underwatched conspiracy drama.
The series, with its thoughtful approach to a well-worn genre and a dynamic cast, just gets better and better each week, and now that the two major plots have overlapped, the final episodes of the season are sure to be thrilling.
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by Ben Phelps
