SueTube – Let’s talk TV with critic Susan Young

As regular blog readers already know, ABC is bringing back “Pushing Daisies,” but no more new episodes until this fall, and “Desperate Housewives,” which will be rushing back into production to bring you a few more episodes this May and June.

On Tuesday, ABC Entertainment announced pickups for nine of its most popular shows, returning broadcast television’s most successful fall series. “Men in Trees” and “October Road” were among the shows not mentioned and may be “on the bubble” for renewal.

“Desperate Housewives” stars Eva Longoria as Gabrielle Solis, Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo, Marcia Cross as Bree Van De Kamp, Teri Hatcher as Susan Mayer, and Nicollette Sheridan as Edie Britt. (ABC/ANDREW ECCLES)

ABC Entertainment ordered episodes of “Brothers & Sisters,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Dirty Sexy Money,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Lost,” “Private Practice,” “Pushing Daisies,” “Samantha Who?” and “Ugly Betty.”

“Big Shots,” the show starring Bay Area’s own Christopher Titus, has not yet gotten a pick-up and one is not expected. When Titus performed at Tommy T’s in Pleasanton for a New Year’s Eve show, he was hopeful the show would return, but indications from the network suggest otherwise.

“Big Shots” Christopher Titus and Michael Vartan, Photo: ADAM TAYLOR/ABC

Other ABC shows that aren’t expected to make an appearance on the new fall schedule are “Cavemen” and “Carpoolers.” And if ABC asks me, and I’m sure they won’t, I’d put that awful “Cashmere Mafia” on the endangered list too.

The one thing Christopher Titus wants you all to know is that his ABC series “Big Shots” has NOT been canceled.

“It hasn’t been picked up, but it hasn’t been canceled,” he says, sipping on a cup of coffee at Tommy T’s Comedy House in Pleasanton before tonight’s show. “So I’m not getting paid, but I’m not going for unemployment yet.”

Titus says he was hired as an actor, not a writer, on the show. But he started doing some writing before the Writers’ strike and hopes to get back into scriptwriting. He says he’s still a member of the Writers Guild, so he can’t work during the strike. And he says he’s amazed that people are getting hostile towards the writers.

This YouTube shows Titus and his son, as well as an array of stars supporting the strike

“The producers are making a lot of money on the Internet, and they are going to make even more, so why shouldn’t the people who are actually creating the shows and writing the shows get some of that money?” Titus asks. “The writers got ripped off with DVDs and they don’t want that to happen again with Internet sales.”

Brody (Christopher Titus) finds the charms of a sexy stranger (Charisma Carpenter guest starring as Heather) increasingly irresistible when “Big Shots” returns with new episodes at 10:02 p.m. Jan. 10 on ABC. (ABC/VIVIAN ZINK)

He apologizes for his messy hair, and the fact that he just woke up from a nap. The night before he was on a $20 mil boat partying with people who are interested in producing his movie about drag racers. Then he had to zip up to the Bay Area for a round of interviews before his stand-up show tonight, Saturday and New Year’s Eve at Tommy T’s in Pleasanton.

The workaholic still works his stand-up routines, joking that he needs to build up his bank account after getting wiped out in dealing with his divorce. His act centers on his break-up with wife Erin. The two grew up in Newark and were high school sweethearts. Working through the pain is what Titus does best. He cut his comic teeth on joking about his father’s multiple marriages and having a mentally ill mom.

“I asked God for some new material for my act. Turns out you have to be very specific with God when you ask for things,” Titus quips. “He gave me a divorce to write about. Here’s some pain for you.”

Even more pain may await Titus when he does the New Year’s Eve show. He says that it’s insane working on that night because people tend to be more outrageous on that night.

“There was a club owner who handed out noise-makers right before the show,” Titus says. “Now there’s a guy who just doesn’t get it, because nothing’s better than being a stand-up comic in front of a lot of people who are loud and drinking and have noise-makers too.”

Yet, Titus wouldn’t want to be any other place than on stage making people laugh as they ring in the new year.

“There’s only one time in 23 years that I wasn’t on stage for New Years and it just didn’t feel right,” Titus says. “I need to be up there.”

For tickets, just go to Tommy T’s.

Want to see the SueTube with Titus? Check it out here: