We have a brand new exclusive clip from the upcoming episode of Burn Notice, which will air on Thursday, September 11 at 10 PM ET. Click below for this new clip of the Double Booked episode with Jeffrey Donovan and Bruce Campbell using some “trashy” covert methods.
Exclusive: Funnier Every Time
Michael is approached by a former operator who uses his spy skills to make a living doing odd jobs like Michael. But he’s no white knight. The operator wants Michael to kill a woman - one Michael must now save instead.
Question:Are there too many procedural crime dramas? And do they hit the same notes too often? Absolutely, but the fact that you witnessed this same general storyline playing out on three of them is clear evidence that people are still watching these shows, and the appetite hasn’t diminished despite the years-long glut. The more pertinent observation to me is the one about quality of execution. Even though we gripe about the overabundance of crime dramas, they’re not all created equal (much like sitcoms, much like reality shows), and they shouldn’t all be tarred with equal derision. While the motherships of the Law & Order and CSI brands each chose to engineer the exit of a major character with morally ambiguous storylines, both episodes also rose to the occasion with episodes well worth watching. That clearly isn’t always the case. — Craig
Matt Roush:That’s a lot of questions to consider, and I’m not sure the reasoning tracks from subject to subject. The broadcast and cable networks still have widely varying differences when it comes to summer programming philosophy, although CBS and NBC are at least trying something different by offering scripted series like Swingtown and Fear Itself (naturally, both airing against each other on Thursdays), which are both looked at as long shots. Cable, meanwhile, uses the summer to market signature shows like Burn Notice, The Closer, etc., and while some of these shows are of network quality (at least), in very few cases do they attract an audience that would translate into hit status if they aired on network TV. (The Closer probably comes the closest.) The networks still are unlikely to channel their resources into producing much in the way of expensive scripted programming during the summer months, when viewing levels are generally depressed. They’re going to stick mainly with reality: some good, some dreadful. Do they look at cable as competition? Cumulatively, yes. But individually, not so much, in most cases. And I don’t see what any of that has to do with cancellation decisions made during the regular season.
