[Televisionary]

One the most eagerly awaited projects of this development season was ABC's reinvention of the classic 1980s sci-fi cult series V . I had the opportunity last night to watch the gripping and electrifying pilot for ABC's new V , from studio Warner Bros. Television, and was completely sucked in by the promising vision and deft skill of the pilot installment, which sets up a slew of intriguing possibilities for the ongoing series. For those of you not in the know, V , originally created by Kenneth Johnson, was a series about an alien invasion that aired on NBC during the 1984-1985 season following a successful run as two separate mini-series. Likewise, this new incarnation of V , overseen by The 4400 creator Scott Peters also tells the story of the arrival of an alien race to Earth via behemoth spacecrafts that appear out of nowhere to hover above 29 cities around the world. Calling themselves The Visitors, their leader Anna ( Firefly 's Morena Baccarin) quickly makes contact

I have to say that ABC may have offered the most memorable upfront presentation in recent years, not because of the self-deprecation comedy stylings of Jimmy Kimmel but because they pulled off what many thought was impossible: they showed an entire pilot to advertisers and press. At the upfront itself. Yesterday's upfront presentation , masterfully overseen by Anne Sweeney and Steve McPherson, led up to this groundbreaking moment by first showcasing the entire first act of its new drama series Flash Forward (a treat in itself) but then ABC went one step further by screening the full pilot episode of its new comedy Modern Family . Modern Family , from creators/executive producers Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan (who most recently collaborated on FOX's short-lived comedy Back to You ), tells the story of three very different families living in suburban America. Told in a mockumentary style that's clearly influenced by the work of director Christopher Guest, Modern Famil

Welcome to Day Three of the 2009 network upfronts. Up next is CBS, which has unveiled its fall schedule to advertisers. Not too many surprises for CBS, which once again sticks with overall stability and picks up a bunch of new drama series (and one lone comedy holdout). Turning around the shortest series cancellation ever, CBS has picked up supernatural drama series Medium for another season. Medium , produced by CBS Television Studio, had been axed yesterday by NBC and will now shift networks and join fellow chiller drama Ghost Whisperer on Friday nights. The network also ordered several new series including comedy Accidentally on Purpose , legal drama The Good Wife, medical dramas Miami Trauma and Three Rivers , NCIS: Los Angeles, and unscripted series Arranged Marriage and Undercover Boss . While not on the schedule, Canadian co-production Flashpoint will return--in Summer 2010--and CBS will launch another CTV co-pro, The Bridge , in midseason. Also scheduled to join the sch

After the publicity machine went into overdrive the past few weeks, FOX finally saw the premiere of the pilot episode of new drama Glee last night. After a sneak peek at the full drama pilot, Glee will return for its freshman season run this fall on FOX. You had the chance to read my advance review of the pilot episode of Glee , but I am curious to know what you thought of the pilot yourselves. Did you fall for the charms of the series, created by Ryan Murphy ( Nip/Tuck, Popular )? Or did you find it far too saccharine for your liking? Was Michele Lea's Rachel Berry a tad too similar to Election 's Tracy Flick? Did you revel for the musical numbers, including Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" and Journey's "Don't Stop Believing"? Did you want to slap Jessalyn Gilsig's bitter Terri? And is she really pregnant? And most importantly: will you watch the series when it returns this fall? Talk back here. Glee returns this fall on FOX.

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing. CBS has opted to cancel dramas The Unit, Without a Trace , and Eleventh Hour and will renew dramas Cold Case and NUMB3RS and comedies The New Adventures of Old Christine and Gary Unmarried . ( Hollywood Reporter ) CW has ordered three new drama series for next season, giving the greenlight to Melrose Place, Vampire Diaries , and The Beautiful Life , while Privileged, Reaper, Everybody Hates Chris , and The Game have all been officially cancelled. Meanwhile, the CW has announced that it will not go ahead with the planned spin-off of Gossip Girl but has indicated that drama Life Unexpected remains in contention for a midseason order. The network will unveil its schedule to advertisers tomorrow. ( Variety , Hollywood Reporter ) After NBC's cancellation of comedy series My Name is Earl , producers on the 20th Century Fox Television-produced series are said to be shopping it elsewhere, including to FOX and ABC. Series co-star

Day Two of the 2009 network upfronts continues as NBC (finally!) announced their 2009-10 primetime schedule. "NBC has picked up more scripted shows than last season even with The Jay Leno Show at 10 pm," said Ben Silverman, Co-Chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios. "We're incredibly excited about our new and returning series and have more comedy programming than anyone else, as well as two of the most buzzed about new shows, Community and Parenthood . We can't wait for the fall." "We are extremely proud to introduce these strong new series to NBC's schedule next season in strategic timeslots that position them for success," said Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios. "They join some of the highest quality returning shows on television, which will serve as a strong foundation to the new schedule. I think viewers are going to be happy to see this lineup of great new shows t

You read it here the other day but NBC has now officially announced the return of Chuck for the 2009-10 season via a press release that signals a partnership between the Peacock and Subway. The renewal for Chuck , from Warner Bros. Television, marks an order for a third season of the much beloved action comedy which returns to NBC, thanks to an innovative partnership between the network and sponsor Subway. "This innovative partnership is a perfect example of the effectiveness of the NBC Infront," said NBC Entertainment Co-Chairman Ben Silverman. "By involving Subway early in the process, we were able to bring a quality show like Chuck back to NBC for next season. Everybody wins -- NBC, Subway, and the loyal fans who so enthusiastically lobbied for Chuck 's renewal." The partnership with Subway marks a multi-platform deal that will "offer a variety of opportunities that will include significant integration into the show, as well as traditional advertising