I found this list of fill-in shows that are sitting and waiting for other shows to fail so they can run these as backups. I pared down the list to show only the title and logline of some of the “more interesting” shows, but the Variety article will show you all the details if you are interested.

Variety Reports

DRAMA

The Bionic Woman (NBC Universal TV Studio)
Logline: Modern version of classic series

Chuck (Warner Bros. TV)
Logline: Computer geek by day, unlikely hero by night

Journeyman (20th Century Fox TV)
Logline: Man goes back in time to fix events - including his own life

Lipstick Jungle (NBC Universal TV Studio)
Logline: Based on Bushnell’s novel about rich, power-hungry women in New York

The Watch (Sony Pictures TV)
Logline: Suburban neighborhood watch group goes haywire

COMEDY

Area 57 (NBC U TV)
Logline: Office comedy set at secret location in the Nevada Desert where the staff must watch after a crude, manipulative alien.

The IT Crowd (NBC U TV)
Logline: The IT staff in a company. Adapted from British format.

The Mastersons Of Manhattan (NBC U TV)
Logline: Serialized soap about a wealthy family in NYC, centered around two socialite sisters

Zip (NBC U TV)
Logline: In a zip code full of “haves,” this is a show about the “have nots” as they hustle to join their rich counterparts.

NOTE: All titles tentative.

We all know what they throw up there each year isnt all going to be a hit, but these failed to make the first cut, so why are we offered them to REPLACE the failures? Guess that is the prize you get for coming in second.

Id be interested in Bionic Woman if its done right, or Area 57, or even The IT Crowd. Here’s hoping at least 3 of their shows suck more than these ideas so we can see these.