The pre-mid-season efforts from the major networks are a wild affair at the best of times, and this season we're seeing just how far this unique mix of shows can go. With ABC's Once Upon a Time and NBC's Grimm kicking off rather near each other, we're about to find out if audiences are ready for the strangest of the strange to show their faces on network television. We saw a certain amount of … [Read more...]
We've entered that time of year that is a sort of television black hole, and I can hardly imagine something that better showcases this idea than ABC's Man Up!, a show that gives the impression that the writers are running out of material before the pilot ends. A kind of shtick series (think the pilot of Cougar Town), which one imagines will be forced to "level out" before, Man Up! centers around … [Read more...]
The best thing ABC's Last Man Standing has going for it is that TV Land is now producing its own shows. If this Tim Allen effort had come out a couple of years ago, I might have bet that it had no chance at all. That isn't to say that I don't like it... it's average-ish when all is said and done..., but I wouldn't have had a lot of hope for it actually getting viewers. It has some good elements … [Read more...]
ABC's Suburgatory is a show that, whatever else it may manage, is going to have a lot of critics talking. A lot of them are going to love it, and I suspect a lot of viewers will as well, but a lot of them are going to wonder what the hell anyone could see in it. Either way, this is not a show that is going to slip past without comment. On the other hand, it's also a show that may be in too … [Read more...]
ABC's Revenge feels like something that was initially developed for ABC Family more than anything else. Even among shows like Desperate Housewives, it seems like it would be more at home alongside Pretty Little Liars and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. But, I probably don't mean what you think I mean by saying that. The show follows Emily Thorne (Emily Van Camp), and her integration … [Read more...]
There are two shows this fall which are (at least according to what people are saying) hoping to capitalize on the success of Mad Men. Both of them shift the primary focus to women, and ABC's Pan Am is looking to relive the glamour of the glory days of stewardesses. 1963 is a very different world, and we're about to see quite a bit of it with the help of four stewardesses aboard Pan Am's … [Read more...]
Coming to you tonight, Matthew Perry returns to television in Mr. Sunshine. He's the general manager of the Sunshine Center, an arena that hosts a variety of sports events, the circus, political rallies, and who knows what else, and he's responsible for making everything run smoothly. That requires a special kind of chaotic dance, and Ben Donovan (Perry), well... he muddles through, generally … [Read more...]
I have a strong suspicion that ABC has a hit on their hands, but don't take that for positive regard. Off the Map is being pushed heavily as "from the producers of Grey's Anatomy," and that's about all the review anyone needs. However, that may need a little more explanation. There is some variety among Grey's Anatomy fans, and while those who can't stand Grey's at all know exactly where they … [Read more...]
When I first reviewed Castle, and it was a spring premiere, I had my doubts that the show would make it to the point that I would be telling you about the second season DVD, and had mixed feelings about whether or not I wanted it to get that far. Debuting about the same time as ABC's The Unusuals, I knew that at most one of them was going to get the chance to live to the fall, and frankly, Castle … [Read more...]
ABC's My Generation has a very tough road ahead, and most of its difficulty comes from an overabundance of drama and competition. Up against The Big Bang Theory, Bones, Community, and Vampire Diaries, the target audience is spread awfully thin. More importantly, while the show had me pretty interested for some twenty to thirty minutes, the pilot's theory of piling on drama as we continue peeling … [Read more...]
Better With You (just so as not to confuse, you may have heard it referred to as Better Together at one point) is a sitcom that follows three couples, all of the same family. We are, in some sense, mostly focused on sisters Maddie and Mia, and their respective better halfs, but the parental units are on board as well, and the comedic spin comes by way of our differing world views. So far, we are … [Read more...]
ABC's Detroit 1-8-7 (premiering tonight) has a few stumbling blocks to get past if it hopes to draw in the kind of ratings that are going to keep it around. The first, and most obvious, is the simple fact that it's a homicide investigation series swimming upstream through a flood of new and returning cop shows and legal dramas. As much as the genre has a lot of historical momentum, there are … [Read more...]
It's ABC's turn to mix things up, and they have a slew of newcomers. They also have some interesting slots in the schedule, such as new show Better Together sandwiched between The Middle and Modern Family. Detroit 1-8-7 is apparently hoping it can find some "following Dancing with the Stars" popularity like Castle. The problem there is that Castle is also brilliant, not just the thing people watch … [Read more...]
ABC's Happy Town has managed to generate a decent amount of buzz already, and whether it's because the TV spots show a guy with a hole in his head, or because an awful lot of people say "Twin Peaks" in connection with it, the hype might be somewhat misleading. Twin Peaks-esque, I'm sorry, this is not. It would really be wonderful if I could assume that you watched Harper's Island, because it … [Read more...]
Shows with lawyers obviously aren't going anywhere, and ABC's newest effort, The Deep End, seems to be aiming at an interesting approach... maybe. Though we are looking for something like the target audience of shows like Ally McBeal and The Practice (only, you know, the new people who are now in that demographic), The Deep End seems to be also trying to spin in elements of other popular shows, … [Read more...]
When I first reviewed the ABC comedy Better Off Ted, I was already a big fan, but I was rather nervous. I was nervous because it seemed like the kind of show that might run out of steam around the fifth episode, and while the cast was great, it wasn't obvious how much long-term ability the writers could manage with the concept. The satirical attack on global corporate domination was filled with … [Read more...]
