Buried beneath talk of cell phones, broadband channels and all things "multiplatform" at the upfronts were actual fall show previews. Just don't ask anyone on Madison Avenue what they were.
One ad buyer, who asked not to be named, sat through all five broadcast presentations but couldn't recall more than a couple of new series.
"I didn't get 'Studio 60,' but I think 'Shark,' (a courtroom drama starring
James Woods), could work," he said. "Everything else is sort of blurry at the moment."
That's because this year's upfront was a parade of brands, of which shows were just a small part. Instead, ad execs were bombarded by the networks' new online video players and mobisodes for series that haven't even launched yet.
"It's good to know that I'll be able to find these shows on every screen -- but here's hoping there are a few hits in the bunch," the buyer said.
In fact, only Fox and CBS spent time poring over the actual schedule at all. Good thing, too. NBC has already moved "Studio 60" to Mondays at 10, far away from the "Grey's Anatomy"/"C.S.I." Thursday at 9 battleground.
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