By Heather Chavez
WHAT I’M WATCHING THIS WEEK: Connie Britton and Dylan McDermott star in “American Horror Story,” premiering Wednesday on FX. Though Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy created “Glee,” don’t expect show tunes and slushies in the hallway. Britton and McDermott play a married couple who move with their daughter into a house with a dark history. I suspect this violent show will be one viewers either love or hate. As a huge fan of Britton and the risk-taking FX, though, I’ll be tuning in.
HOW ARE THEY DOING? Speaking of new series, “New Girl” with Zooey Deschanel, which debuted in the top 10, was the first to get a full-season pick up, so it will be sticking around for a while. I think that’s a good thing. You can check out this funny (and often sweet) comedy at 9 p.m. Tuesdays on Fox.
“Whitney” (9:30 p.m. Thursdays, NBC) and “2 Broke Girls” (8:30 p.m. Mondays, CBS) have been falling in popularity since their debuts, although both are doing well enough to be contenders for being the next new show picked up for the season. “2 Broke Girls” is watchable, if only for the chemistry between its two female leads, Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs. But I can’t say the same for “Whitney” (which stars Whitney Cummings, who is also co-creator and executive producer of “2 Broke Girls”) . It’s likely benefitting from its “Office” lead-in. Does that intrusive laughtrack mean no one is laughing? Probably. It gets my vote as worst series so far.
As for the much anticipated “Terra Nova” (8 p.m. Mondays, Fox), the ratings for its debut last week were far from “Jurassic”-size . Despite the pilot’s $20 million price tag, its ratings were just solid, not standout. Of course, it had to compete with CBS’ powerhouse comedy block, including all those millions who turned in to see the trainwreck that is “2½ Men.” (Sorry to all you Ashton Kutcher fans. Loved him in “That 70s Show,” but this? Not so much.) Hopefully, “Terra Nova” isn’t headed for extinction, because I enjoyed its premiere. Fox has said “Terra Nova’s” first season would be only 13 episodes, so here’s hoping we’ll get to see all 13.
As for other shows doing well, “The X Factor” creator Simon Cowell predicted the show would get at least 20 million to tune in. It hasn’t posted those kind of numbers, but it’s still near the top of the ratings. “X Factor” airs 8 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays on Fox. “Up All Night” (8 p.m. Wednesdays, NBC) and “Pan Am” (10 p.m. Sundays, ABC) also got off to strong starts. But viewers weren’t feeling the love for “The Playboy Club” (10 p.m. Mondays, NBC), which could be one of the first shows canceled. (Although personally, I’m holding out hope that it’s “Whitney.”)
This week, as we see which series continue their freefall and which build their audience (or at least cling to the viewers they have), it will be easier to predict which shows will make it … and which will clear the channels for all those mid-season shows.
QUICK UPDATE: It’s official. The bunnies are no more, as “The Playboy Club” became the first new show to get the ax.
