ABC entertainment president Paul Lee kicked off the network's portion of the Television Critics Association's winter press tour in Pasadena Thursday by declaring, "We have a lot to shout about, and we also have a lot to do."
Falling under the "lot to do" part of that statement:
* The lackluster ratings for the all-star edition of
Dancing With the Stars. "Turns out people want to see bad dancing as much as they want to see good dancing," Lee deduced, later adding, "We still intend to keep it going twice a year. It's still a big, broad crowd pleaser. We think there's a lot of life left in it."
* The continued ratings woes of
Happy Endings and
Don't Trust the B—- in Apartment 23. "We love those two shows," he maintained. "They are watercooler shows. They are really well-written. We think they have a chance to grow [on Tuesday]. We haven't made any decisions [about next season], but I can tell you these are shows that we love."
* On the demise of freshman thriller
Last Resort, "We had a very passionate male audience. We did not connect with women." Meanwhile, the failure of
666 Park Avenue "was a surprise to us," he acknowledged, "because it tracked so well early on in awareness and in intent to view."
Falling under the "a lot to shout about" part of that statement:
* Lee was bullish about Seth MacFarlane's upcoming Oscar hosting stint. "He
wants to be there," Lee noted. "And I think he's going to bring a lot of that energy to [the show]. And with the movies [that are nominated], I'm sensing we're going to have a very entertaining Oscars."
* Shonda Rhimes' sophomore smash
Scandal is "just rocking and rolling," Lee enthused. "Shonda is passionate about this show. It's a huge credit to her that it's so different from
Grey's."
* Lee revealed that the pilot for Joss Whedon's
Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D. has been fast-tracked and thus will be ready for review "a lot earlier than others." Hailing the script as "great" with "a lot of funny male/female relationships" as well as "a lot of action," he feels it could be a highly co-viewed show (that is, watched by parents with their kids) in the vein of
Once Upon a Time. "Marvel has the ability to bring the whole family."
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