Broadcasters call reinforcements for primetime TV.

It's that time of year again. NATPE comes around and U.S. broadcasters sadly acknowledge that some of their most promising fall shows just aren't cutting it. It's time to bring in the backups. It's time for midseason replacements.

This year's bloodbath of new series cancellations included CBS' highly anticipated dramas Kidnapped and Smith, both of which debuted as critical darlings, but couldn't seem to get out of the ratings dumpers; The CW's Runaway, starring former New Kids on the Block boy band-er Donnie Wahlberg; and Fox's Vanished, which, one night, up and did what its title suggested. In addition, the show that started out with the most buzz attached to it this past fall, NBC's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (produced and distributed internationally by Warner Bros. International Television), was hemorrhaging viewers, but was mercifully granted a full season pick-up by the peacock net, while Lost, ABC's it-series of yore, well, lost, some ratings points to other series that are just plain easier to follow. It quickly became clear to broadcasters that viewers were simply overwhelmed by the sheer number of scripted serialized dramas on the small screen and just couldn't commit to watching all of them. Come midseason, they hope to rectify this.

"There is an overpopulation of series and serialized shows, and the audience can only devote their time to watching an average of two series a week," said Fernando Barbosa, senior vice president of Miami, Florida-based Buena Vista International Television Latin America. "People have other things to do. And nowadays, new media pipelines [such as the Internet] are a clear option as well. Therefore only two or three content winners will emerge. Those winners can benefit exponentially, while the rest lose exponentially."

Keith LeGoy, executive vice president, Distribution for Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI), concurred, adding: "The interesting factor has been the strength of many of the returning shows, and frankly the overall unbelievably high level of quality for new TV series. Shows like Kidnapped, Smith or Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip are outstanding creative television, but so are returning shows like Grey's Anatomy and ER. So the competition is intense and the quality level you need to win has been cranked way up."

SPTI midseason replacement Big Day debuted on ABC in late November to mixed reviews, but the company isn't sweating it.

"We love the show," said LeGoy, about the comedy series, which depicts a wedding from different perspectives, including that of the bride, groom, and the bride's controlling mother. "One of the interesting things of the season has been that the series that have been successful have had a lighter, more humorous aspect to them. Heroes, Ugly Betty and [SPTI's own] 'Til Death all have that, and Big Day absolutely has it too, so we're hopeful and hopefully optimistic."

Then again, the powers that be at SPTI felt similarly about now-defunct Kidnapped. "We thought it was a great show, but not enough people watched," LeGoy acknowledged.

Besides Big Day, SPTI launched two other midseason series for U.S. cable network TBS. My Boys is a half-hour comedy starring Jordana Spiro as a girl who's best friends with a group of guys, but wouldn't mind dating one of them once in a while, while 10 Items of Less is a zany, improvisational-style show set in a supermarket. "Think Clerks meets Borat, where anything can happen," said LeGoy.

In addition to Big Day, the ABC network will also be introducing sitcoms Knights of Prosperity (internationally distributed by Buena Vista International Television), Notes From the Underbelly (distributed by Warner Bros. International Television), and In Case of Ernergency (BVITV), as well as serialized drama Traveler (WBITV). CBS will play it cautious after the quick fizzle of Smith, debuting just one show, sitcom Rules of Engagement, distributed by CBS Paramount International TV. NBC will launch dramas Raines and The Black Dannellys, both internationally distributed by NBC Universal International Television Distribution, and will bring the Donald Trump "You're Fired" fest The Apprentice back to the schedule.

But while most of the nets must wait a few weeks to see how these replacement shows fare, it's Fox, which has seen viewership plunge for its onetime flagship series The O.C., along with the failure of hyped kidnapper series Vanished, that knows it will surely reap the benefits of the midseason reprieve. Indeed, the reemergence of Fox powerhouses American Idol and 24 will change the game for the network, reestablishing it as a force to be reckoned with in the broadcast arena. Fox execs plan to use the commercial time during their top two series to promote the network's two new dramas, Drive and The Wedding Store, both debuting in March.

Meanwhile, The CW, the newest U.S. network, which blended programming from The WB and UPN, will play it safe, launching just one new drama--Hidden Palms from Dawson's Creek creator Kevin Williamson and distributed by Lionsgate--and a new reality series, The Search For the Next Pussycat Doll. In addition, The CW will bring sitcom Reba and catty reality series America's Next Top Model back to the tube.

And despite the failure of Runaway, the net's only new series this fall, Dawn Ostroff, president, Entertainment, for The CW, has high hopes for the struggling network. "Now that there are only five [U.S.] networks," she said, "The CW is the only network specifically targeting adults 18-34. So if a producer has a project that is geared toward young adults, there's only one network they're coming to. We've been inundated with so many projects that are perfect for our audience, so we have the luxury of being very particular about what we put on the air."

Indeed, being particular is something all the nets are striving for this midseason and for the fall 2007 season to come.