Daniel's TV Blog

NBC
The Blacklist
What I said last year: James Spader is a fugitive who begins working with the FBI to help them find other bad guys.  I like this new take on the old bad-guy-helps-the-good-guys mostly because of James Spader.
What I say now: NBC's sole survivor was a consistently good show all season.  The stories have been great and the arc has been compelling.  He's probably her father.


FOX
Sleepy Hollow
What I said last year: Ichabod Crane wakes up in the present after being dead or asleep for 250 years. Then he teams up with a modern detective to try to stop the headless horseman from killing more people.  I like the way this looks.
What I say now: I haven't watched this yet but it's on my summer list.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine
What I said last year: SNL's Andy Samberg stars in a buddy cop comedy as goofy but effective detectives and their no nonsense new captain.  This looks great especially with Andy Samberg. involved.
What I say now: This show has been great because of great writing and great characters.  Looking forward to much more.


ABC
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D
What I said last year: It's the Avengers TV show without any of the Avengers.  This looks like it will be the big hit of the fall.  I can't wait for this.
What I say now: Great show I look forward to each week.  The way they integrate in into the Avengers movies (Thor, Captain America) has been unlike anything seen before on TV.  And next year we get another S.H.I.E.L.D. show set in the post-war 40s.

The Goldbergs
What I said last year: It's that 80s show.  A family show with the youngest always with his full sized video camera to follow the family's antics.  The hot blond cop from Reno: 911 is the mom and I was on board with just that.
What I say now: This show is great.  I love the nebulous 1980-something setting.  But it's the ensemble that makes this show one of the best shows on TV right now.  Everyone of them is wonderful with Wendi Mclendon-Covey at the top of her game.

The CW
The Originals
What I said last year: A spin-off of The Vampire Diaries about the original Vampire family.  And this one takes place in New Orleans like last season of True Blood. Does the world need another vampire TV show?
What I say now: I guess the world does need another vampire TV show.

CBS
Mom
What I said last year: Anna Faris is a single mom who also lives with her crazy mom played by Allison Janey.  It's from Chuck Lorre so it could be good like Big Bang or terrible like 2.5 men.  Either way it will be successful.
What I say now: I watched the first few episodes which were quite funny.  I stopped because I realized I didn't like or care about one single character.

The Millers
What I said last year: They had me at Will Arnet.  When parents find out that both their son and daughter have secretly gotten divorced without telling them, they get divorced and move in with both of them.
What I say now: I missed the first few episodes and it looked like it was going to be cancelled.  Now that it's been renewed I think I might catch up this summer.


Midseason
The 100
The CW show about humans returning to a post atomic wasteland from space stations has been very good.  Many people have died on the ground and in space but the Earth still has lots of grounders.

About a Boy
NBC's only comedy.  I haven't watched it yet.  It might make it on my list next fall.

Labels: Fall 2013, upfronts

CW has only 2 new shows on the schedule.

The Flash
I think this is my top pick for the fall.  They previewed Barry Allen with a two episode arc on Arrow this season.  Superhero shows are the best when there is a good support team behind them and The Flash has one.  Definitely yes.

Jane the Virgin
A virgin gets accidentally artificially inseminated.  Why does this exist?  Definitely no no no.

Labels: Fall 2014, upfronts

Madam Secretary
A former CIA agent turned college professor becomes Secretary of State.  Looks really good plus Bebe Neuwirth is in it.  Definitely yes.

Scorpion
A genius hacker and his startup friends get drafted by the CIA to solve problems.  The problem I have is the first problem isn't a problem.  The first episode is about trying to get the air traffic control software back online at LAX so the planes don't crash.  This assumes the the pilots can neither fly without computers or be reached by radio.  Bad writing from the start.  Definitely no.

NCIS: New Orleans
I haven't watch one episode from the franchise so I'm not starting now.  Definitely no.

Stalker
Detectives in the stalker division of the LAPD.  Wait, there's a stalker division of the LAPD?  Probably no.

The McCarthys
Four grown siblings spend way to much time together including one gay brother.  Could be good. Probably yes.

Labels: Fall 2014, upfronts

The Whispers
This super creepy show is about children who get instructions from invisible friends to do terrible things.  Are they ghosts, aliens, interdimensional invaders, or the voices from the future?  It’s probably aliens.  Plus Aiden from Revenge is back, yay!  Definite yes.

Cristela
A Latina corporate worker and law student deals with family, work, and school.  Probably no.

How to Get Away With Murder
Law students and their professor is also a high end defense attorney. Looks like the plot of Legally Blonde.  Probably no.

Forever
New York’s best medical examiner has secret: he’s immortal. Probably no.

Black-ish
The father of a rich black family is worried his family is loosing their blackness.  Probably no.

Secrets and Lies
Ryan Phillip is a dad accused of killing a neighborhood boy.  Julliete Lewis is the detective investigating.  Looks good but I’m not sure how they can stretch this into a series.  Probably yes.

American Crime
Another show about one murder.  The victim is white and suspect is Latino with lots of racial discussion.  Also, how could this stretch into a series.  Probably yes.

Galavant
No joke this is a musical comedy about a medieval knight.  This will be an amazing flop of which I will watch every episode.  Definitely yes.

Selfie
It stars Amy from Doctor Who so definitely yes.

Fresh Off The Boat
An Asian family is running a cowboy steak restaurant in 1990’s Orlando.  The 90’s setting is what make this look good.  Probably yes.

Manhattan Love Story
Similar to NBC’s A to Z, this is about a couple who start dating in the pilot.  Except it’s in New York and we can hear their inner dialogs.  Probably yes.

Labels: Fall 2014, upfronts

Gotham
It's Smallville but with Batman.  This will either be amazing or the worst thing on TV.  Regardless, definitely yes.

Wayward Pines
An FBI guy wakes after a car crash in an odd town and soon discovers he can't leave.  Looks super creepy and cool.  Definitely yes.

Backstrom
Dwight from the Office is a brilliant but self destructive police detective.  Probably yes.

Mulaney
John Mulaney is hilarious.  I'll watch any thing he's in including a multi-camera sitcom.  Definitely yes.

Heiroglyph
Drama, intrigue and maybe magic in ancient Egypt.  FOX is trying to make its own Game of Thrones. Probably not.

Empire
It's Dynasty but with a black family and a music empire.  It even has the disappointing gay son. Definitely no.

Gracepoint
The American remake of Broadchurch.  This is a 10 episode miniseries.  Originally I wasn't planning on watching since I already know who did it by watching the British version.  But the trailer looks great so this gets a Definite Yes.

The Last Man on Earth
Will Forte is the last man on Earth.  Why? Undetermined.  Is there a last woman on Earth? Undetermined. Definitely yes.

Utopia

Labels: Fall 2014, upfronts

Something strange happen with the upfronts this year.  Back when I was in high school, the only way to find out what happened in the upfronts was a small article in the LA Times Calendar section.  Now there is so much interest in the process, you can track many of the pilots through the process online. The upfront announcements are no longer about announcing the new shows but what the final pick is and what the order is.  Most of the trailers for the new shows have been online for weeks.

Labels: Fall 2014, upfronts