The Return of My Annual Fall TV Network Presidents Survey

It’s the return of my annual Fall TV Network Presidents survey! I asked 18 programmers — from Netflix, ABC/Hulu, NBC, CBS, Fox, The CW, TBS/TNT/TruTV, HBO/HBO Max, Showtime, FX, A+E, Freeform, AMC, Discovery, Paramount Plus, Epix all included — the think that irks them the most about the biz; what show they’d steal from a rival; their potential sleeper hit; their pandemic hobby and more. See all answers here.

And we got 13 of them on to this chart, which ran in the most recent issue of Variety. Click to make it larger:

Final Upfronts Wrap-Up: Priyanka Chopra, Mariah Carey, James Corden and Nicki Minaj Take Over New York

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Another week in New York for the annual network upfronts -- when the big dogs pimp their new TV wares to advertisers -- ended over a week ago. And as I wrote for Indiewire, the big story of the year was broadcast networks acting, well, like broadcast networks again.

It feels like a rather antiquated practice, yet the broadcast networks still pull in around $9 billion annually -- so it's still a pretty big deal. We don't obsess about the schedules quite as much as we used to, but it's still a fun part of the pomp and circumstance. The networks still put on a show for advertisers -- including Adult Swim's annual late-night Wednesday event, which this year featured Nicki Minaj (above). More highlights from the week:


James Corden does a "Hamilton" parody at the CBS upfront.


Priyanka Chopra opens the ABC upfront.


CBS gives us a sneak peek of the new "Star Trek" series' logo.


Fitz and the Tantrums performs at The CW upfront.


Mariah Carey makes a grand entrance at the NBC upfront.


Kiefer Sutherland introduces his new series "Designated Survivor" at the ABC upfront.


ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey introduces Jimmy Kimmel.


Fox jabs at CBS, notes that "Gotham's" new villain was "Lex Moonves."


NBC Universal stars at the upfront pose behind Kate McKinnon (as Ellen DeGeneres), parodying Ellen's Oscar selfie.


At the Fox upfront, Homer Simpson reminds us that "The Simpsons" will hit an astounding 600 episodes next year.


The "Downward Dog" looms over ABC stars.


"Hamilton" was hot this upfront. Jimmy Fallon did his own parody as well.


Rachel Bloom and Gina Rodriguez on stage at the CW upfront.


Stephen Colbert at Carnegie Hall for CBS' upfront.


The cast of "Empire" performs at Fox's upfront.


The cast of "The Big Bang Theory" offer up "Star Trek" suggestions to new CBS Entertainment president Glenn Geller.


"Supergirl" star Melissa Benoist hits The CW stage with stars of "Arrow," "The Flash" and "DC's Legends of Tomorrow."

Your Final Upfronts Recap: A Look at the Week in Pics, Including Outkast, Neon Trees, Alan Cumming's Nipples and Rizzoli & Isles' Selfie

Another week in New York for the annual network upfronts -- when the big dogs pimp their new TV wares to advertisers -- is now long over. But before it's a distant memory and we start watching pilots, here's a quick look at some snapshots from the week that helped coin "eventize" as a new catch phrase and ended several major TV streaks (Most notably: CBS will enter fall without a comedy on Mondays at 9 p.m. for the first time since 1948 -- with a bit of an asterisk in 1988, when the TV writers' strike delayed fall.) Above, Seth Meyers opens NBC's upfront


NBC sales chief Linda Yaccarino touts NBC's return to No. 1


Fred Armisen and the 8G Band perform at the NBC upfront


NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt at the NBC upfront


"The Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon at the NBC upfront


Fallon awards Carson Daly the "Even Whiter Ryan Seacrest" title


Fallon also has a gag for NBC Universal boss Steve Burke


Pitbull, who will host Fox's New Years Eve special this year, opens the Fox upfront


Fox Entertainment Chairman Kevin Reilly proclaims Fox as "America's Next Generation Network"


Fox calls on Andy Samberg to provide a few yuks. First up: Fox's new research system, the "E.N.E.M.A.S."


Also, a few new shows on the horizon, according to Samberg: First up, CBS' "CSI: Mike & Molly." (Everyone's still making "CSI" jokes, 14 years later!)


Also: "CSI: CSI Production Offices"


At ABC, Samberg offers up "The Disney Butt Implant Funtime Hour"


CBS reveals its schedule at its annual morning breakfast, the Wednesday of Upfronts


Another tradition: Turner's annual Wednesday post-upfront lunch. Here, my table mates Eric McCormack ("Perception"), Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander ("Rizzoli & Isles") take a selfie.


At Carnegie Hall, Alan Cumming performs at the CBS upfront.


David Letterman gives his farewell at his final upfronts appearance.


Neon Trees performs at The CW's upfront.



And of course, you can see my whole collection of pics from Adult Swim's Outkast concert here.

The CW Adds "The Flash" To Tuesdays, Among Its Big Fall Moves

The CW's highly anticipated "Arrow" spinoff, "The Flash," will lead off the network's Tuesday lineup this fall.

That pairs "The Flash" (8/7c) with veteran CW show "Supernatural," now heading into its 10th season for an action-oriented night of programming. The timeslot also keeps "The Flash" out of the way of two nearby comic book shows: Fox's "Gotham," which airs Mondays at 8/7c, and ABC's "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," which is moving to 9/8c on Tuesdays.

The CW's other new fall series, the romantic comedy "Jane the Virgin," will air Mondays at 9/8c, following "The Originals" (which moves to Mondays at 8/7c). Wednesdays and Thursdays remain the same, while Friday is unscripted night -- with "Whose Line Is It Anyway" and "America's Next Top Model."

Here's the CW's 2014-15 schedule:

MONDAY
8- "The Originals"
9- "Jane the Virgin" (new)

TUESDAY
8- "The Flash" (new)
9- Supernatural

WEDNESDAY
8- "Arrow"
9- "The 100"

THURSDAY
8- "The Vampire Diaries"
9- "Reign"

FRIDAY
8- "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"
8:30- "Whose Line" encores
9- "America's Next Top Model"

MIDSEASON
"iZombie" (new), "The Messengers" (new), "Hart of Dixie," "Beauty and the Beast"

Mike in New York: Upfront Roundup

And so ends another crazy, non-stop week in New York, as ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and The CW (plus TBS/TNT, USA, Univision, ESPN and more) pimped their new shows to advertisers. I wrote about some of the presentations last week; here are a few more moments from later in the week. Above, "2 Broke Girls" stars Beth Behrs and Kat Dennings, in their diner costumes, opened the CBS upfront.



And then, "NCIS: Los Angeles" star LL Cool J -- oh yeah, you might remember his late 80s hip-hop career -- rapped about CBS' dominance ("CBS is a phenomenon... something like a phenomenon") along side an opera singer.



Possibly the best part of the CBS upfront: A look at what CBS boss Leslie Moonves' Pinterest page might look like. Notice the Julie Chen pics. And lots of cute puppies.



Billy Gardell and Melissa McCarthy appear on stage at the CBS upfront -- but in character, which is one of my big upfront pet peeves. It never works. Partly because they reference being on a show while acting like they're in character. Turner thankfully stopped doing that this year.



T.I. performs at the Adult Swim upfront.



The following day, Flo Rida hits the stage at the CW's morning upfront presentation.



The new stars of the CW join the stage with network boss Mark Pedowitz.



The CW's top execs, with the fall 2012 schedule above them.



Erykah Badu and Mark Ronson at the USA Network upfront.

More stories from upfront: ABC To Bring Back TGIF with Tim Allen and Reba McEntire

Network Q&A: TBS/TNT's Michael Wright On Why He Saved Cougar Town And Plans For Next Season

Network Q&A: CBS' Nina Tassler on Her Fall Schedule

New Showrunners to Replace Dan Harmon on Community

UPFRONTS: The CW's Fall Schedule

The CW is pairing up shows from two of its most prolific producers, Gossip Girl's Josh Schwartz and The Vampire Diaries' Kevin Williamson.

The mini-network announced a fall 2011 schedule on Thursday that utilizes returning players Gossip Girl, The Vampire Diaries and 90210 to launch new series Hart of Dixie, The Secret Circle and Sarah Michelle Gellar's Ringer.

In what has become a bit of a CW scheduling tradition, the network will use Gossip Girl to launch Schwartz's Hart of Dixie, starring Rachel Bilson, on Monday nights. And Vampire Diaries will lead into Williamson's The Secret Circle on Thursdays.

That leaves Ringer, which debuts on a night Gellar is very familiar with: Tuesdays. (Buffy the Vampire Slayer ran for most of its entire lifespan on Tuesdays, on the WB and later UPN). It will air behind 90210, which is back on Tuesdays.

Meanwhile, besides 90210's move back to Tuesdays, in the CW's other major move this year, action series Nikita slides to Friday, filling the Smallville void on the night (and bumping Supernatural to 9 p.m.).

The CW's long-running America's Next Top Model keeps its long-time Wednesday home, as the network attempts to launch yet another reality show in front of it: This time, H8R.

Here's the CW's fall schedule:

Mondays
8 p.m. Gossip Girl
9 p.m. Hart of Dixie (NEW)

Tuesdays
8 p.m. 90210
9 p.m. Ringer (NEW)

Wednesday
8 p.m. H8R (NEW)
9 p.m. America's Next Top Model

Thursdays
8 p.m. The Vampire Diaries
9 p.m. The Secret Circle (NEW)

Fridays
8 p.m. Nikita
9 p.m. Supernatural

Midseason: One Tree Hill