my LaPlaca picks



This was a tough year to pick. Mostly because I don't watch much TV at all, but a big part of it was I vowed to stay away from FOX shows, as I've been burned twice now on announced shows never appearing. So, then:



10. Friends - Finally, it's going away.

9. Whoopi - Because she's not funny. She has never been funny. She's been incisive, perhaps -- her one-woman show was pretty good, as I recall.

8. Married to the Kellys - I was tempted to pick on this show's leadin, Hope and Faith, because of show-killer Ted McGinley. But H&F also has Kelly Ripa, who people (who aren't me) love, so they cancel each other out. MttKellys, on the other hand, has Breckin Meyer, so it's doomed.

7. Frasier - See comments for Friends, above; and Everybody Loves Raymond, below.

6. Tarzan - Do I even need to say anything here?

5. 10-8 - CHiPS retread between the safety that is America's Funniest Home Videos and the weirdness that is Alias will please neither of those established audiences.

4. Joan of Arcadia - teenager talking to God? Too quirky for a Friday night on CBS. If it survives, it'll be in a new timeslot.

3. Threat Matrix - Lukewarm cop-action show in the sacrifical Thursday slot against Friends and Survivor? buh-bye.

2. Like Family - hm. WB sitcom with an early premiere. I think it will draw poorly between Reba and Grounded for Life, but it's always a risk picking on WB sitcoms (same with UPN, for that matter), because what do they have to lose?

1. Everybody Loves Raymond - supposed to be the last season, but there's a good chance the cast could be moneywhipped into sticking around.