Day one of the D23 expo featured a presentation by ABC, which highlighted some of their shows for the fall TV season.
The panel was hosted by Tome Bergeron from "Dancing With the Stars" and Stephen McPherson, president of ABC entertainment group. The hour focused on ABC's Wednesday night block of comedy programming, the new drama "FlashForward" and "Dancing With the Stars."
"FlashForward" is about what happens when everyone in the world blacks out for two minutes and 17 seconds and is given a vision of their future. The show has been among the most buzzed about new series and seems to follow in the mysterious path of ABC hit "Lost."
"Hank" stars Kelsey Grammer as a CEO who loses everything and moves his family back to his hometown to start over. This fish out of water comedy felt stale and received only polite laughs and pity applause.
It's really a shame because Grammer is a genuinely funny actor who deserves a stronger show than this.
"The Middle" is supposed to be "Roseanne" for a new generation, but Tim pointed out that it's just a rip off of "Malcolm in the Middle." It stars Patricia Heaton as a midwestern mom with a crazy husband and three wacky kids, stop me if this sounds at all familiar.
Perhaps the only stand out of the night is "Modern Family," starring Ed O'Neill. This single camera comedy is about three very different families and how they navigate the problems that new families face.
The show is shot in the style of a mockumentary, giving it a acerbic tone and making it stand out from the rest of the lineup.
Closing out the night is "Cougar Town with Courtney Cox as a recently divorced woman ready to get back in the dating game. Cox plays the role with no ego and her well honed comedy timing may help out with some of the more cliched jokes.
Following the video presentation all four stars appeared on stage and discussed what brought them back to television and why they picked these shows.
The panel closed with a performance by "Dancing With the Stars" pros Cheryl Burke and Derek Hough, plus an appearance by new contestant Donny Osmond and his partner Kym Johnston.
I was hoping for a little information on returning favorites like "Lost" and "Castle" but they seemed to really be pushing the new stuff. Unfortunately some of it wasn't worth waiting for.
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