FOX

CHICAGO – Do you want the good news or the bad news, TV fans? The good news is that the upcoming crop of new Fall programs from the five major networks (totaling 27 new shows) is not as bad as last year’s incredibly-horrible debut slate. The bad news is that it’s still pretty bad. There is no “Lost,” no “Glee,” no “Modern Family,” no instant stand-outs of any kind.

CHICAGO – There are reasons to worry about “House.” Let’s look at the symptoms. First, the temperature — the show’s ratings. They’re down nearly 50% from the season-three peak, averaging just under 10 million last year, down from closer to 13 million the year before. They’re still impressive numbers but when there were rumors of a network shift or even cancellation last year, no one was shocked.

CHICAGO – Fans who enjoyed the new comedy series “Breaking In” and feared the show wouldn’t last longer than the seven episode first season need not worry. FOX officially announced this afternoon that they would be renewing the show for a second season of production, even after announcing a few months ago that it was canceled.

CHICAGO – Blue Sky Studios’ “Rio” feels nearly designed for Blu-ray as the film’s strengths are amplified by the world of HD video and sound. With bright colors and Brazilian music, it’s easier to get sucked into the world of this so-so family flick, and a large number of special features makes it easier to overlook the unsatisfactory nature of the actual movie. The important thing is that the little ones in your family will be captivated by the talking, dancing birds with the colorful plumage, especially in 1080p.

CHICAGO – The word “phenomenon” is too liberally thrown by critics but it absolutely applies to “Boondock Saints,” a movie that made no waves at all upon its initial release but now has an incredibly loyal following, enough so that Fox has released yet-another edition of the movie to mark its tenth anniversary — “The Boondock Saints: Truth & Justice Edition.” Is the double dip worth your dime?

CHICAGO – Matthew Vaughn rights the ship of mediocre superhero movies with the incredibly accomplished “X-Men: First Class,” the best Marvel Movie since “Spider-Man 2” and a film that proves that big blockbuster summer entertainment can be both commercially crowd-pleasing and intellectually complex at the same time.

CHICAGO – Brian Tallerico guests on Bill Moller’s show on WGN-Radio in Chicago on May 21, 2011 to discuss TV news including the announcements of all five of the network schedules with a focus on the shuffling at CBS, the aggressive new lineup at ABC, and the return of old TV stars like Sarah Michelle Gellar and Tim Allen.

CHICAGO – FOX made their Fall schedule official this morning, putting to rest any lingering hope for fans of “The Chicago Code” (or the other four canceled bubble programs) and detailing what will air when.

CHICAGO – Brian Tallerico guests on Bill Moller’s show on WGN-Radio in Chicago on May 14, 2011 to discuss TV news including the cancellation of “The Chicago Code,” “The Event,” and more; the renewals of “Happy Endings,” “Harry’s Law,” and more; the fate of “The Office”; the hiring of Ashton Kutcher to star on “Two and a Half Men.”

CHICAGO – For weeks now, we’ve been trying to predict what the networks would do with their bubble shows when they announced their fall schedules next week. Well, Kevin Reilly of FOX decided to burst all of the bubbles at his network under cover of night, as news broke very late last night that “The Chicago Code,” “Human Target,” “Lie To Me,” “Traffic Light,” and “Breaking In” will be absent from the upcoming 2011-12 schedule.