We conclude our Fall television preview series by focusing on NBC's offerings.
Story by Sue Lukenbaugh
NBC had a huge turn over. They canceled five new comedies - Marry Me, About a Boy, One Big Happy, A to Z and Bad Judge - and axed three dramas (State of Affairs, Constantine and Allegiance. They added fourteen new series, including six comedies, seven dramas and one variety show, but only six will begin with the traditional September start.
Best Time Ever – TUESDAYS 10|9c THIS FALL
Plot: Five-time Emmy Award winner Neil Patrick Harris is coming to NBC on a new primetime variety series based on the U.K.'s hugely popular "Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway." The show will feature comedy sketches, musical numbers, mini game shows, hidden camera pranks on celebrities and appearances by A-list stars.
My Verdict: This sounds like the variety show that I wanted to see from the Muppets, but it looks like a typical gameshow. It's a short run (just until November), and a late time slot, which could bode well for the high energy variety show.
Blindspot – MONDAYS 10|9c THIS FALL
Plot: A vast international plot explodes when a beautiful Jane Doe is discovered naked in Times Square, completely covered in mysterious, intricate tattoos with no memory of who she is or how she got there. But there's one tattoo that is impossible to miss: the name of FBI agent Kurt Weller, emblazoned across her back. "Jane," Agent Weller and the rest of the FBI quickly realize that each mark on her body is a crime to solve, leading them closer to the truth about her identity and the mysteries to be revealed.
My Verdict: Season 1 will be a wild ride, but after the mysteries of her tattoos are solved will be the real test of the series. The cast is lead by Jaimie Alexander and Sullivan Stapleton, and the action looks slick. That explosion though could have looked better, but it wasn't the worst from a pilot.
Heartbreaker – TUESDAYS 9|8c THIS FALL
Plot: Based on the real life and achievements of Dr. Kathy Magliato, this unique character-driven medical drama follows Dr. Alex Panttiere (Melissa George, "The Slap"), an outspoken, world-renowned heart transplant surgeon, one of the few women in her field. Stubborn and fearless, Alex always operates on her own terms. She revels in a racy personal life that's a full-time job in itself, manages the daily demands of skeptical faculty and dutiful interns, and pushes the boundaries of medical science to impressive new heights.
My Verdict: It has the feel of early, Grey's Anatomy, lead by an overly cocky surgeon. There's a lot to like in the preview trailer, but its not the most interesting medical drama coming this fall.
Heroes: Reborn – THURSDAYS 8|7c THIS FALL
Plot: The saga behind the 2006 breakout series "Heroes" will continue this fall as creator Tim Kring returns to the fold and develops new layers to his original superhero concept. This highly anticipated 13-episode event series will reconnect with the basic elements of the show’s first season, where ordinary people were waking up to the fact that they had extraordinary abilities.
My Verdict: A lot of the original cast is back. There's no preview for it yet though. The first season of Heroes was great, as the series went on, the storytelling suffered. If they can get back that creative spirit from the beginning of the series, this mini-series will be a great success.
People Are Talking – FRIDAYS 830|730c THIS FALL
Plot: If you can think it, they will say it. From the producer of "Ride Along" and the director of "How I Met Your Mother" comes this unabashed new comedy about two diverse couples, who are both neighbors and best friends. As they go through life side by side, they can't help but analyze and obsess about EVERYTHING. From topics like sex and race, to the fact that the trusted new babysitter might just be a porn star, nothing is out of bounds for this wildly outspoken foursome.
My Verdict: It's not nearly as funny as it should be. Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Tone Bell are plenty likable, but likability isn't enough.
The Player – THURSDAYS 10|9c THIS FALL
Plot: An action-packed Las Vegas thriller about a former military operative turned security expert who is drawn into a high-stakes game where an organization of wealthy individuals gamble on his ability to stop some of the biggest crimes imaginable from playing out. Can he take them down from the inside and get revenge for the death of his wife, or is it true what they say: the House always wins.
My Verdict: It looks more like a B action movie than a TV show. It could be decent if the over acting and the camp is reigned in and fast.
Chicago Med – TBD
Plot: Executive producer Dick Wolf delivers the newest installment of the compelling Chicago franchise, an emotional ride through the day-to-day chaos of the city's most explosive hospital and the courageous team of doctors that holds it together. They will tackle unique new cases inspired by topical events, forging fiery relationships in the pulse-pounding pandemonium of the emergency room, and through it all, familiar faces from the Chicago Police and Fire departments will intertwine as this third team of Chicago heroes hits the ground running.
My Verdict: Wait and see. There's no trailer out yet. The cast includes Oliver Platt, Laurie Holden, and Yaya DaCosta. It's a spinnoff of Chicago Fire, which is a huge hit. It'll definitely be around for awhile though as NBC loves Dick Wolf. Some of the cast was introduced during the Chicago Fire episode where a grenade was exploded in the hospital.
Coach – TBD
Plot: Craig T. Nelson reprises the iconic role that earned him an Emmy in this follow-up to the beloved series that ran for nine unforgettable seasons. With original creator Barry Kemp at the helm, our story picks up 18 years later, when the retired coach gets back in the game to assist his son, who was just hired as head coach at an Ivy League university in Pennsylvania... where they know nothing about sports. Between dealing with the eggheads on campus and his hostile daughter-in-law at home, Coach will soon learn that he's not in Minnesota anymore. Talk about a Hail Mary!
My Verdict: I wasn't a Coach during its first run, I've probably only seen the show as reruns late at night when there's nothing else on. I don't think there has ever been a time I was like I wish that Coach was back on the air, but I'm sure that there was someone out there who said that. Right? There's no trailer out yet, but Craig T. Nelson is back, so that's something.
Crowded – TBD
Plot: No more sex, booze and paying the bills naked. After 20 years of parenting, empty nesters Mike (Patrick Warburton, "Seinfeld") and Martina (Carrie Preston, "True Blood") are finally reclaiming their wild side. But when both of their two grown daughters unexpectedly move back in and Mike's parents scratch their plans to spend their golden years in Florida, their roost is full again. From Executive Producer Sean Hayes, this new (and very timely) family comedy proves that life is crazy with a full house, especially the second time around.
My Verdict: Wait and see. There's no trailer out yet. The cast includes Miranda Cosgrove.
Emerald City – TBD
Plot: In the blink of a tornado's eye, 20-year-old Dorothy Gale and her K9 police dog are transported to another world, one far removed from our own - a mystical land of competing kingdoms, lethal warriors, dark magic and a bloody battle for supremacy. This is the fabled Land of Oz in a way you've never seen before, where wicked witches don't stay dead for long and a young girl becomes a headstrong warrior who holds the fate of kingdoms in her hands.
My Verdict: Wait and see. There's no trailer out yet, and no cast attached. This one was in development last season, and ultimately didn't make the cut, but I'm glad to see that it's back in the mix.
First Dates – TBD
Plot: Everyone can relate to the experience of a first date: the promise of potential love when it goes well and the hilariously awkward moments if it crashes and burns. From Executive Producer Ellen DeGeneres and based on the hit U.K. format, this new series offers a voyeuristic look at a variety of real first dates happening throughout one night at the same restaurant. The audience will be along for the ride in a refreshingly authentic viewing experience that plays like a real-life romantic comedy. At the end of each episode, we will find out if the participants want to see each other again for a second date or if they will go back to the drawing board.
My Verdict: There's no trailer out yet, but its yet another dose of reality TV. Don't we have enough reality TV yet?
Game of Silence – TBD
Plot: Carol Mendelsohn, executive producer and architect of the CSI phenomenon, presents a gripping new drama about a successful Atlanta attorney (David Lyons, "Revolution") whose long-lost childhood friends unexpectedly reappear after 25 years. When a dark secret they thought they'd buried resurfaces, the brotherhood bands together to right the wrongs of their shared past - a journey that will push the limits of their loyalty and quench their thirst for revenge.
My Verdict: Wait and see. There's no trailer out yet. The cast includes David Lions and Michael Raymond-James.
Hot & Bothered – TBD
Plot: If you think the steamy sex, sensational scandals and heart wrenching heartbreak on Latino soap operas are a little extreme, just wait until you see what happens behind the scenes! Eva Longoria stars in this new comedy about Ana Sofia, a sizzling TV superstar, and her lively family of cast and crew all competing to steal the spotlight. When the cameras turn off, the drama turns up as Ana battles pesky network execs, drunken scriptwriters, narcissistic co-stars and an unfortunately familiar new on-screen love interest.
My Verdict: Wait and see. There's no trailer out yet. The cast includes Eva Longoria, Jencarlos Canela and Diana Maria Riva.
Shades of Blue – TBD
Plot: In a steamy new drama, the iconic Jennifer Lopez stars as sexy New York detective and single mother Harlee Santos, who fell in with a tight-knit group of dirty cops, taking bribes and protection money that she uses to provide the best life for her honest, talented daughter. But when she's trapped by the FBI and forced to inform on her own "brothers," she'll have to walk the fine line between love, loyalty, honor and betrayal, and try to keep it together for her daughter's future.
My Verdict: Wait and see. There's no trailer out yet. The cast includes Jennifer Lopez, Ray Liotta, Drea de Matteo, Vincent Laresca and Warren Kole.
Superstore – TBD
Plot: America Ferrera ("Ugly Betty") and Ben Feldman ("Mad Men," "A to Z") star in a hilarious workplace comedy (from the producer of "The Office") about a unique family of employees at a super-sized mega store. From the bright-eyed newbies and the seen-it-all veterans to the clueless summer hires and the in-it-for-life managers, together they hilariously tackle the day-to-day grind of rabid bargain hunters, riot-causing sales and nap-worthy training sessions.
My Verdict: Wait and see. There's no trailer out yet.
You, Me and the End of the World – TBD
Plot: In this bold, adrenaline-fueled new comedy drama, the news that a comet is on an unavoidable collision course with Earth sets in motion the most hilariously unexpected chain of events imaginable. Set against the backdrop of apocalyptic chaos, the story follows an eclectic group of seemingly unconnected characters around the world as their lives start to intersect in the most unexpected ways. And when we say "eclectic," we mean a rebellious priest, an unhinged white supremacist, a mild-mannered bank manager, a germophobic cyber terrorist and an American five-star general. Some of these misfits are destined to make it to a bunker deep beneath the English suburb of Slough, and as a result will become the hugely unlikely (and totally unsuitable) future of mankind. Wouldn't that be a disaster!
My Verdict: Wait and see. There's no trailer out yet. The cast includes Rob Lowe, Jenna Fischer, and Megan Mullally.
Of the six shows with September start dates for NBC I'll be watching Blindspot. I'll wait until the previews come out for the rest, but Emerald City sounds most interesting, and if it actually makes it to the schedule this season it'll be on my to watch list.
In case you missed them, we've included all of our preview articles below. Check them out and let us know which shows you're most looking forward to watching...or not!
Comments