A sneak peek of the NBC upfronts

In the past, I've spoken of how Troy Patterson from the online magazine Slate is my favorite television columnist. Well, I'm happy to report that in keeping with a yearly tradition, he is filing dispatches from all of the network upfronts this year, starting with NBC. (And if you want to see a nifty question and answer with Troy, which is also where I got the picture from, click here.)

For those not in the know, the upfronts take place over roughly a week, and the networks give critics, advertisers and industry heavies a sneak preview of their new shows and pilots for the fall season. Since NBC is in fourth place, they obviously would like to make the best impression of the networks that will present.

Of the shows described, The Paul Reiser Show is the only one that sounds remotely interesting to me. A network-rated version of Curb Your Enthusiasm could be good, and before it focused solely on the baby in its later seasons, I did enjoy Mad About You. Reiser is likable enough in the stand-up and movie roles I've seen him in, like as the square detective partner of Alex Foley in a minor role in Beverly Hills Cop.

The rest of the shows... ick. Outlaw, the Jimmy Smits show, sounds too implausible for people interested in the law, and too lame for people into action. The Event sounds like it could be solid, a casual version of The West Wing, but it isn't really the type of show I'm into. And although I like Olivia Munn, Perfect Couples sounds like a good candidate to get canceled within five episodes.

The picture of Reiser comes from this site about movie actors, obviously.