Upfront Update: Lots of Strikes, Not Much News at FX - Simon Applebaum

Venue: Back to the lanes--Lucky Strike Lanes on the corner of West 42nd Street and the West Side Highway--for FX's upfront presentation last week. There are very few bowling alleys around Manhattan, much less NYC's five boroughs, and Lucky Strike is in a class by itself. The lanes are pristine, great overhead monitors to monitor scores, plenty of room to watch celebrities bowl, and above-average food for such a place, including mini-turkey and veggie burgers. Grade: 4.5 Jacks

Presentation: With "we've nailed it" as the main theme, FX executives hammered the view that ratings are up to the point where "the landscape and the guard has officially changed." (Attribute the latter quote to ad sales chief Michael Brockstein, who gave the lion's share of the presentation.) In every featured genre--movies, original comedy, and original drama--FX now does better than USA, TBS, TNT and the like with 18-49ers. Not included: the network's recent moves into sports, via Pac-10 college football last fall and The Ultimate Fighter series coming over from Spike TV (under parent Fox's overall pact with Ultimate Fighting Championship). Surprising omittance from the main pitch. Another glitch: no audio on a key highlights tape. Grade: 3 Jacks

News: All of FX's original series coming back for new seasons was the big and only headline from FX president John Landgraf and his colleagues. Details of Anger Management starring Charlie Sheen joining the primetime lineup, and late-night newbie The Bell Curve (produced by Chris Rock) were released earlier in the week. Landgraf and colleagues were tight-lipped about first-run primetime development, perhaps mindful of laying out the landscape last spring. Three pilots were noted then--American Horror Story, Outlaw Countryand Powers--of which only Horror Storymade the cut. Of course, Horror Story became FX's most-watched, reviewed and buzzed new drama ever last fall. According to sources, four to six new series may hit FX in 2013, with as many as four drama pilots up for deals. The Americans, a KGB spy living in 1980s U.S. drama from Justified executive producer Graham Yost (starring Keri Russell from Felicity fame), goes into pre-production this week.

Grade: 2 Jacks.

Host: Brockstein delivered his pitch in a solid manner, all you could ask for. Grade:3 Jacks

Overall Grade: 3.5 Jacks Marvelous venue for a presentation that was light on news, heavy on talking points and missing an important point or two in between.

5 Jacks - Excellent
4 Jacks - Very Good
3 Jacks - Good
2 Jacks - Fair
1 Jack - Poor
0 Jacks -Worse than bad

Until the next time, stay well and stay tuned!

Simon Applebaum is producer/host ofTomorrow Will Be Televised, the weekly Internet-distributed radio program covering the TV scene. Simon cal be reached at simonapple04@yahoo.com.

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