Last Resort Archives - TV Breakroom

Broadcast Freshmen Grading – How Did I Do With 2012-2013′s New Shows?

Aside from Hannibal, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, and the CW have made their decisions about which shows are returning next season. How did I do this year on picking which new shows to watch?

ABC

Canceled: 666 Park Avenue, The Family Tools, How to Live with Your Parents, Last Resort, Malibu Country, Red Widow, Zero Hour

Renewed: The Neighbors

I watched more of ABC’s pilots than I typically would for a network since their media site allowed me to preview several shows weeks or even months before they aired. I didn’t like 666 Park Avenue. I thought The Family Tools and How to Live with Your Parents were decent, but by the time they finally started airing I didn’t have time to watch. I loved the pilot of Last Resort, but subsequent episodes lacked the same polish, so I bailed after episode 3, always saying I’d get back to the show, but never actually doing so. The Neighbors was far better than I was expecting, and I watched through the mid-season break, and plan to catch up this summer.

Grade: A+

CBS

Canceled: Golden Boy, Made in Jersey, Partners, Vegas

Renewed: Elementary

I watched not a single full episode of any of the canceled shows, and I loved Elementary right from the start, and it remains one of my favorite new shows.

Grade: A+

Fox

Canceled: Ben & Kate, The Mob Doctor

Renewed: The Following, The Mindy Project

I watched the two new comedies on Fox with a nervous eye toward the ratings. While Ben & Kate was cute, The Mindy Project was far more funny. The drama premises interested me not at all.

Grade: C+

NBC

Canceled: 1600 Penn, Animal Practice, Deception, Do No Harm, Go On, Guys With Kids, The New Normal

Renewed: Chicago Fire, Revolution

I passed on all of NBC’s new dramas, though I did give Revolution two episodes to convince me it was must-see-TV (it failed to), but I was far more willing to try out comedies. The New Normal proved its awfulness in one episode, and I moderately enjoyed Animal Practice while it lasted. I enjoyed 1600 Penn, Go On, and Guys With Kids, but fell multiple episodes behind with each of them quite frequently.

Grade: D

The CW

Canceled: Cult, Emily Owens, MD

Renewed: Arrow, Beauty and the Beast, The Carrie Diaries

I was going to give Cult a chance because of Matt Davis, but the previews turned me off, and I never planned to watch Emily Owens. Arrow is tied with Elementary for my favorite new drama of the year, and I enjoyed Beauty and the Beast but fell behind because of my new job. Initially I didn’t like the idea of The Carrie Diaries at all, but cute promos and a Doctor Who alum has pushed the show into “maybe I’ll check it out someday” territory.

Grade: A

In all, I give myself a B+ for show selection this year – beating my score for last year.

How did you do on picking new shows to watch?

Share this post:

Midseason Premieres and Schedule Changes, Legends Gets a New Lead

The CW has just announced that midseason thriller Cult will debut Tuesday, February 19th, taking Emily Owens, MD’s 9pm slot. This show-within-a-show follows Jeff (The Vampire Diaries’ Matt Davis) as he investigates a show (also) called Cult, whose fanatical followers may have had something to do with his brother’s disappearance. Check out the video preview:

As previously announced, the CW’s other midseason show, The Carrie Diaries, will begin Monday, January 14th, at 8pm, pushing 90210 to 9pm.

ABC is moving Suburgatory to its old 8:30 slot, and premiering How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) at 9:30, both on April 3. When Suburgatory finishes its season, The Family Tools will get a (very) late spring debut on May 1st at 8:30. I assume that means The Neighbors’ freshman run ends in March?

On the drama side, ABC is neatly fitting its midseason shows into the slots held by its canceled shows. Body of Proof will return to take Private Practice’s Tuesdays-at-10 spot, Red Widow will replace 666 Park Avenue Sundays at 10 (after a 9-11 two hour premiere March 3, and Zero Hour drew the short straw and got Last Resort’s doomed 8pm-on-Thursdays-where-ABC-shows-die spot starting February 14th (I’m predicting it will do about as well as Missing – though who knows, maybe all the guys without Valentine’s dates will tune in for the premiere).

Syfy also announced midseason programming, with 3 scripted dramas to premiere Monday, January 14. Canada time-travel police drama Continuum makes its US debut at 8pm, Being Human returns for season 3 at 9pm, and season of Lost Girl kicks off at 10pm. Also, the final season of Merlin makes its way across the pond on January 4th at 10.

TNT drama pilot Legends has a new lead after Brendon Fraser left the role, and it’s someone who two kinds of fantasy fans can get excited about – Sean Bean! The Lord of the Rings and Games of Thrones actor will play a deep-cover operative with an uncanny ability to transform himself into a different person for each job.

What do you plan to watch in 2013? Does Sean Bean’s casting make you more likely to check out Legends if it makes it to series?

Share this post:

News: No More Emily Owens, MD or The Mob Doctor, ABC Comedies Get More Episodes

The CW has officially canceled Emily Owens, MD – the freshman show will air all of its 13-episode initial order. The Mob Doctor has also coded, but less officially – Fox declined to order additional episodes for the show, and is burning off the final four episodes around New Year’s. Both shows had terrible ratings, so their demise was expected. With Private Practice ending as well, these season has not been kind to medical dramas. The CW will still have Hart of Dixie in the genre, but The Mob Doctor did a poor job at trying to fill the Monday void left by House.

Speaking of House, Hugh Laurie is close to a deal to play Blackbeard in NBC’s 10-episode pirate drama Crossbones. Yes, I could totally see him as a pirate! NBC has also ordered a period pilot, The Gilded Age, from Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes.

Last Resort and 666 Park Avenue have enough time to tweak their final episodes, so fans of the shows will get some closure when the two shows end.

ABC’s two November-debut comedies (sophomore Last Man Standing and freshman Malibu Country) have been picked up for their back five episodes (instead of nine, due to their late starts). Also, Fox’s Touch has been moved to Fridays and will air a two-hour debut February 8th.

Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D. has cast the role of Agent Grant Ward, giving it to newbie Brett Dalton. While I’m still hoping some Whedonverse vets make it into the show, I think it’s quite interesting that this guy looks like a combination of Angel (top half of his face) and Spike (bottom half). Am I the only one seeing this?

British historical fantasy show Merlin will come to a close after its currently airing 5th season, with a special 2-hour episode to wrap things up.

And I think that catches me up with at least the most important news (in my mind) that’s cropped up over the past week. What news items have YOU talking?

Share this post:

Partners, Last Resort, 666 Park Avenue All Canceled

CBS canceled newbie comedy Partners Friday afternoon, pulling the show from the schedule immediately. Also on Friday, ABC decided not to pick up the “back nine” for two of its freshman dramas, Last Resort and 666 Park Avenue, despite ordering additional scripts. Both shows will finish out their 13-episode initial orders.

None of the decisions should come as a huge surprise to anyone watching the ratings. The only show I’ll miss of the three is Last Resort, which featured a cool premise and some great actors. To be honest, I didn’t enjoy the following episodes as much as the pilot, and eventually fell behind with watching the show (partly trying to wait to watch it with a friend, partly because ABC didn’t allow Hulu to stream the show on other devices – like my Roku – and my PC was on the fritz). The pilot hinted at great characterization, but the next couple episodes drifted into stereotypes while focusing on action/plot instead. I had a strong suspicion the show might not last in the difficult Thursday 8pm slot, and as soon as I saw the premiere ratings, I knew it was only a matter of time before it ended, though I did hope for at least one full season. Now I can only hope for some sort of resolved ending.

I only caught a few clips of Partners, but I hope David Krumholtz finds a great show soon (and the same for Dichen Lachman and Autumn Reeser of Last Resort). I watched the pilot of 666 Park Avenue, and was bored, though I knew it wouldn’t be up my alley anyway. My initial take of the premise was imagining a large-scale version of Being Human, where all sorts of supernatural creatures live in relative peace and can be themselves. So the actual show’s horror take was disappointing, and having no actors I followed fervently kicked it off my list completely.

Share this post:

Fall TV Verdicts – 2012

Just about all of broadcast TV’s new fall shows have aired at least two episodes now, so I think it’s time for a look at which ones soared, which ones got off to a rough start, and which ones nosedived. I’m dividing this list up into several groups so you can get an idea of what my preferences and interest levels were going in.

Shows I Haven’t Seen and Never Plan To:

Out of the 20 new shows that have debuted so far, the list of those I haven’t seen is pretty small: 7. I hate country music, so Nashville was out. The rest (Made In Jersey, The Mob Doctor, Partners, Emily Owens MD, Chicago Fire, and Vegas) I wasn’t interested in for one reason or another. One is already canceled, two more aren’t far behind, and none of the seven shows has been a breakout hit. I feel pretty happy with my choice not to watch them, and expect maybe 1-2 to reach a second season (not holding my breath, though).

Shows I Never Planned to Watch but Did See the Pilot:

For two shows, I checked out the pilots knowing I’d never commit to watching the show. It was easy to tell from the previews that 666 Park Avenue wasn’t my type of show, but I had a chance to watch the pilot early as a TV blogger, so I tried it out. It seemed well done, but I didn’t enjoy it. The New Normal I watched out of a morbid curiosity to see how awful it would be, and aside from one or two heartfelt moments, it was utterly terrible. I didn’t laugh once.

Comedies I Thought Would Be Awful but Didn’t Mind:

Another show I got a chance to watch early was The Neighbors, which wasn’t as terrible as the previews made it out to be. I’ve seen the first two episodes, and might watch more if I’m caught up on most of my other shows and in the mood for a comedy. Guys With Kids I didn’t intend to see, by my siblings said it was pretty good, so I watched a few episodes. Both shows are more family-oriented comedies, which usually bore me, and I don’t really laugh during them, but I like having extra comedy shows to watch on dreary days.

Comedies I Like but Wouldn’t Cry Over Their Cancellation:

Every new comedy not in the above lists fits in this section. Many of them are great, but I haven’t gotten attached to any comedies so far this season. That’s probably a good thing, as Animal Practice has already been canceled. Go On is probably the best of the lot, and I expect it will return for a second season, but The Mindy Project (my pilot review here) and Ben and Kate (pilot review here) are far from out of danger despite their full-season orders. These shows are heartwarming and humorous, but they’re not laugh out loud funny. Plus, none of the characters grip me in that “I would hate to see them go” way. It could come with time, and I’ll keep watching these shows until they get terrible or get canceled.

Dramas That Didn’t Wow Me In Their First Two Episodes:

Revolution was hyped to be awesome, Beauty and the Beast was critiqued to be terrible. I was disappointed by Revolution’s pilot, but enough was done right that I gave the show another episode. When Miles was still the only character I enjoyed watching, and the rest of the show failed to interest me, I decided to stop watching. It’s too bad, because from the premise it seemed like exactly the type of show I would enjoy.

I just watched the second episode of Beauty and the Beast, and really noticed the terrible, terrible dialogue people were complaining about in the pilot (my review of it here). I so want to love this show, but the writers are making it very hard. I’m still not sure if I’ll watch a third episode. I want it to pull a Vampire Diaries and start getting really good after a few episodes, but I don’t know if there is enough backstory for the mythology of the show to grow. Also, in the second episode, several procedural issues bugged me (Don’t uniforms clear buildings? Are detectives allowed to be present during the autopsy of someone they killed?), and Cat had a sister appear out of nowhere. The first episode got good ratings for the CW, but the second quickly dropped, so it might not get time to improve. Might be better to replace it with the midseason Cult, to bring over Matt Davis (Alaric) fans from The Vampire Diaries. (I know I had no plans to watch the show, but after marathoning through The Vampire Diaries, Matt Davis has become one of my favorite actors, so I definitely plan to give Cult a few episodes to impress me.)

As I was writing this, I kept thinking, I wonder what Revolution and Beauty and the Beast would have been like with Joss Whedon in charge? Can’t wait for S.H.I.E.L.D.!

Dramas I Love:

The three drama shows I was most looking forward to turned out to be the ones I loved most this season. My favorite pilot episode, Last Resort (my review here), hasn’t quite lived up to its potential in subsequent episodes, but it still keeps me glued to the screen almost every minute. Its low ratings don’t signal much hope for renewal, but ABC shows regularly do poorly in that timeslot. ABC did order 2 more scripts for the show, so it’s unlikely to get pulled from the schedule immediately (I was starting to worry about that), but that may be just to give the show some sort of resolution. All the same, I’ve tried to temper my attachment to the show and just enjoy it while it lasts.

Elementary (my review of the pilot here) has been just as awesome as I hoped. I’ve been completely won over to the idea of a female Watson, and it’s been nice watching their friendship slowly grow over the past few episodes. Both annoy each other like crazy, yet their respect and admiration for each other is beginning to build. The cases seem to have an extra twist compared to most crime drama shows, which fits well with the need to bring in a consultant. I’m really sorry for the people who have a hard time understanding Jonny Lee Miller’s brisk British accent, but I feel the speed helps convey Sherlock’s fast mental process. Oh, and the opening credits are amazing:

Last but not least, Arrow has been amazing so far. While the pilot (my review here) had a good deal of the plot revealed in preview clips and therefore wasn’t quite as engaging, the second episode (my review here) had everything I was looking for: great action sequences, insightful character moments, and hints at series-long mythology-building. The second episode got the exact same excellent rating as the first (double that of typical CW “steady performers”), so I’m looking forward to this show being around for a while.

Conclusion:

Three great dramas. Three good comedies. That’s my haul from broadcast TV’s new fall shows, and I managed to find a show I liked on every single network. I think 3, maybe 4, will stick around for a second season.

Which new shows will you keep watching?

Share this post:

New Fall 2012 Shows – Which Pilots Do You Plan to Watch?

(Uber-cool photo above from TheInsider.com)

Thanks to sneak peaks and early releases, the fall broadcast TV season is well underway, even if most shows don’t premiere until next week (or later). Into the bunch are thrown 21 new scripted shows – which of these do you intend to check out?

Please vote in the poll for all the shows for which you plan to see (or have already seen) the pilot episode. Then leave a comment and let me know which shows you’re most excited about!

Loading ...

Share this post:

IMDb: Fall TV: Top Ten New Shows – a list by IMDb-Editors

IMDb presents a list of their picks for the top ten new shows – and I agree with just about the entire thing! Each show has a photo and a brief description, followed by thoughts from the site’s editors. I enjoy that they push past all of the hype and nitpicking to give an honest look at how well the pilot episodes work and where they see shows going from there, both good and bad.

#1 Last Resort

My favorite of the pilots I’ve seen so far (admittedly mostly comedy). Great suspense, great characters, awesome possibilities for future stories. I just hope it’s not handicapped by a competitive time slot. Full pilot review here.

#2 Arrow

Dark Knight, archery division. While I haven’t seen the pilot yet, IMDb puts Stephen Amell’s acting somewhere between Tom Welling’s Superman and Christian Bale’s Batman, which is good enough for me! An awesome superhero show for the fall is needed after enjoying superhero movies and Alphas all summer.

#3 The Mindy Project

This was a “see if the pilot’s any good” show for me, but since episode one had an unexpected quirky rom-com charm, I plan to stick around for several more episodes. Pairing this with New Girl is brilliant. Here’s my review of the first episode.

#4 Nashville

One of the few shows I disagree with on this list, mostly since I hate country music and don’t usually like shows that run solely on relational drama (give me murders, spies, bombs, crimes, aliens, cool powers, and other worlds for my drama fix). But if it’s your cup of tea, enjoy away!

#5 Elementary

The third in my trifecta of most-anticipated new dramas this fall (for the others, see #1 and 2 above). I have a feeling the pilot will be a bit spoiled by the promos, so I’m more looking forward to the second episode. And since Sherlock is already reimagining the traditional Holmes stories, I’m glad this show will focus on new stories. Update: my review of the pilot is here.

#6 Ben and Kate

A heartwarming little gem that I look forward to seeing more of. See my full review of the pilot here.

#7 Hunted

I don’t follow many cable shows unless they air on USA, Syfy, or TNT, so I had no idea this cool-looking spy drama from Cinemax even existed. If the pilot shows up online I may have to try it out.

#8 Go On

The pilot was great, the second episode a little less so, but I’m definitely giving this show a few more episodes to find its stride. I think the main thing is that the characters don’t feel like family yet, but that usually requires several episodes for most shows. I just hope the writers will be able to find the right balance between humor and pathos as most of the characters deal with pretty significant losses.

#9 Vegas

One of the other exceptions I’d take off this list – not that it isn’t well made, it’s just not a show I care to watch. I don’t watch many historical shows, unless they’re set in a time and place I love (looking at my list of tags, that’s pretty much medieval England, but there are others). Las Vegas doesn’t interest me at all. Neither does the 60s. I don’t really care about the conflict between a sheriff and a mob boss, and the main cast doesn’t feature any actors of whom I’m a huge fan. So even though I have no other broadcast shows to watch at 10pm on Tuesdays, I won’t be watching (at least this sounds better than Unforgettable, though).

#10 Revolution

This, along with Beauty and the Beast, was in my second tier of new dramas to try out, so my anticipation level wasn’t as high, but I was still hoping to be pleasantly surprised. I wasn’t. While the pilot had some great moments, very little about it pushes me to watch the next episode. Since it conflicts with Castle, I’ll probably save it to watch online, but I have a feeling this is one of those shows that’ll get put off until I’m so far behind I stop watching. I do plan to watch at least the second episode, to see if it gets better.

For pics, plot descriptions, and IMDb editors’ thoughts on these 10 shows, visit the link below.

IMDb: Fall TV: Top Ten New Shows – a list by IMDb-Editors.

Share this post:

Last Resort – Pilot

If you’ve been reading this blog, you know I’ve been rooting for Last Resort since pilot season. The premise was intriguing – a US sub disobeys orders to fire nuclear missiles and sets up its own government on a small tropical island – but the cast really got my attention. I especially looked forward to seeing Dichen Lachman (Dollhouse) and Autumn Reeser (No Ordinary Family) back on my TV screen.

An excellent promo only whet my appetite, so when ABC offered an online pilot preview, I dived right in. And was blown away.

Two reasons I enjoyed it much more than the other new high-concept ensemble drama I plan to watch (Revolution): it had many twists and turns the promo didn’t give away, and more potential/untold history with the characters.

Spoilers below!

The action starts immediately with the sub picking up a group of Navy SEALs (one of whom is badly injured) in hostile territory. There’s a bit of a breather then, where you get a glimpse at how the crew interacts – the mutual respect between Captain Marcus Chaplin (Andre Braugher) and his XO Sam Kendal (Scott Speedman), the difficulties Lieutenant Grace Shepard (Daisy Betts) faces as the daughter of an admiral, and some tension between the COB Joseph Prosser (Robert Patrick) and the other officers, as well as between the SEALs and the officers.

But just as the crew is celebrating crossing the equator, the ominous message comes in from a secondary command post (in Antarctica!): the Colorado is ordered to fire nuclear missiles at Pakistan. Chaplin and Kendal follow procedure until the last step, when they both acknowledge that something doesn’t feel right. The secondary post is only supposed to be used when Washington is under attack or similar circumstances, but according to D.C. television stations, everything’s fine. Chaplin calls in and asks to speak with someone whose authority he recognizes, or at least to receive the command via normal channels before he wipes out millions of people in a country the US isn’t even at war with.

He gets a call back and is relieved of his command. He passes the phone to Kendal, now acting captain, who also asks that the order come through normal channels. Shortly afterwards, an incoming missile is detected, and the sub dives, but is still hit and damaged before it crashes to the bottom of the ocean. There are several casualties, including one of the SEALs.

Meanwhile, back in Washington, Kylie Sinclair (Autumn Reeser) shares techy details about the Colorado as she romances a senator’s aide, trying to get her device (which cloaks the Colorado’s unique signature) onto other subs with his senator’s help (all the geek-speak reminded me of Autumn’s role on No Ordinary Family, but Kylie acts more confidant and sexy than Katie did). A cryptic text sends her rushing to confront Admiral Shepard with what she figured out – the missile that hit the Colorado wasn’t from Pakistan, like the media claims. It was from another US submarine. “You killed your own daughter,” she accuses, but his shocked reaction convinces her he has no idea what’s really going on. Also, uniformed officers show up at the door of Kendal’s wife, Christine (played by Jessy Schram – Once Upon a Time’s Cinderella).

Chaplin, with Kendal’s support and despite open defiance from the COB and others, comes up with a plan. With some of their command equipment damaged, they head to a small nearly island with a NATO station and take it over. There they find out that the attack was from a US sub, and that someone else followed orders and fired nukes into Pakistan. Chaplin calls Admiral Shepard and gives the phone to Grace so she can assure her father that she’s alive, and Kendal is able to call his wife.

One of the SEALs, James King (Daniel Lissing), connects with island barkeep Tani Tumrenjack (Dichen Lachman, who gets little screen time in this episode, but I hope that will change!) as he requests storage for his fallen comrade’s body and alcohol to drink his sorrow away. He’s soon challenged by the self-proclaimed “mayor” of the island, Julian Serrat (Michael Sahr Ngaujah) and his goons. After stating in detail how he will kill each one of them if they don’t quit keeping him from his drink, they leave (don’t mess with Navy SEALs!). However, they only retreat to take a more aggressive approach toward these unwelcome “tourists,” later kidnapping two members of the crew.

Since now the US knows the Colorado survived (thanks to the phone calls and a betrayal from the COB and several crew who aligned with him – Lt. Shepard was forced to shoot one of them before he executed Kendal), two bombers head toward the island. Knowing they’ll bomb the island even if the sub dives to avoid the attack, Chaplin issues an ultimatum – turn them back or he fires a nuke at Washington. They retreat at the last minute, and the nuke lands in the Atlantic. Chaplin declares a 200-mile no man’s land around the island, and threatens to nuke anyone who breaches it.

And the final twist? The injured SEAL ranting about how they had the wrong intel, that they killed the wrong people, and the one at the bar, sobbing at the attack footage and saying all this is his fault. The latter scene had added shock because of how unflappable King had been until that moment.

It’s hard to think of something I didn’t like about this pilot episode. The action kept things moving, the actors fit their roles, for all the drama there were moments with the right touch of humor, and the whole episode felt as polished as a summer blockbuster.

But unlike most summer blockbusters (no matter how many unwanted sequels get made), what hit me most was the potential for future storytelling in these characters. You don’t get to spend much time with most of them, but just about every character leaves you wanting to know more about their story.

Since the initial setting is a Navy sub, it did have a bit of an NCIS feel, especially those episodes that have taken place on a ship/sub. Caplin reminded me a little of Battlestar Galactica’s Adama – protective, but not afraid to be ruthless.

If Last Resort keeps up this quality, I will be watching every episode of the show. It has a rough time slot at 8PM on Thursday, especially against The Big Bang Theory, The X Factor, 30 Rock, and The Vampire Diaries. ABC hasn’t had a new show succeed in that time slot since Ugly Betty. But Last Resort has the mettle to stick around, so I hope viewers will give it a chance. You’ll be glad you did.

Share this post:

ABC Premiere Dates 2012 — Your Fall TV List – TVLine

ABC has finally announced its fall 2012 premiere dates, with most shows coming back during the final week of September (starting Monday, September 24 with Castle, and ending Sunday, September 30 with Once Upon a Time at their normal times).

Notable exceptions include Suburgatory (which returns Wednesday, October 17, in a new 9:30 time slot), Happy Endings and Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 (Tuesday, October 23 at 9 and 9:30 – I wonder if they did that so Apt. 23 would come back on the 23th – great way to get people to remember!), and the network’s two country-music themed offerings, Nashville (October 10) and Malibu Country (November 2).

The only new show I’m planning to check out on ABC this fall is Last Resort (premiering Thursday, September 27, at 8), with a cast that includes Dichen Lachman (Dollhouse), Autumn Reeser (No Ordinary Family), and Scott Speedman (Felicity).

ABC Premiere Dates 2012 — Your Fall TV List – TVLine.

Share this post:

What I Will Be Watching in Fall 2012 – ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, The CW

Now that all of the broadcast networks have revealed their fall schedules, as well as trailers or clips of new shows, it’s time to look at what I will be watching live, what I’ll have to catch online, and how many annoying half hour and hour “dead zones” I’ll have between good shows.

TVLine was nice enough to compile a grid chart of what’s airing when, which you can view at the link below (it will open in a new tab so you can follow along):

Fall TV Schedule Grid 2012-13 — ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, The CW – TVLine.

Thanks to 666 Park Street’s too-much-horror bent, Once Upon a Time remains my only show for Sundays, though if my Sunday evenings stay busy, I’ll be watching online anyway.

Monday has a lot of dead zones. Since I don’t get HD Fox coverage in my area (which makes the picture 2/3 of its normal size), I’ll watch Bones on Hulu and How I Met Your Mother live. But since I’m likely giving up 2 Broke Girls (since it’s become the ladies’ version of Two and a Half Men instead of a smart, funny comedy), I don’t have anything else I plan to watch until Castle at 10. Revolution looks good, but like Smash (which will be back in midseason), I’ll only watch it live if Castle is a repeat or ABC won’t come in.

Tuesday’s first two hours are packed for me. I’ll probably watch NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles live when I can, because if I have to watch a show online I prefer Hulu to CBS’s video player. But if they’re on repeats or I’m in the mood for comedy, I have choices: Ben & Kate on Fox at 8:30, New Girl on Fox or Go On on NBC at 9, and The Mindy Project on Fox (maybe) or Don’t Trust the B—- in Apt. 23 at 9:30. Nothing on at 10 that interests me, though I might watch the pilot of Vegas out of curiosity.

Wednesday just has two shows I plan to watch, and of course they conflict – Arrow at 8 and Suburgatory at 8:30. I might try out Animal Practice (at 8) if I’m watching Suburgatory live.

Even with Community’s move, Thursdays remain my busiest night. At 8, I have to choose between The Big Bang Theory and a half hour dead zone, or ABC’s Last Resort. At 9, Person of Interest and CW’s Beauty and the Beast will probably push The Office to online-only. My only conflict-free hour will be at 10, with CBS’s Elementary.

Friday, I will probably watch Community and Grimm (NBC, 8:30 and 9) live, and catch Nikita online.

All told, that’s 22-26 shows every week, out of which up to 12 are 1/2 hour comedies. Up to 20 hours total every week for broadcast shows, if I like all the new shows I’m trying out. Seems like a lot, but I guess not really for someone who runs a TV site. 🙂

Share this post:

ABC 2012-13 Primetime Schedule: ‘Revenge’ To Sunday, ‘Happy Endings,’ ‘Don’t Trust The B’ To Tuesday, ‘Last Man Standing’ To Friday – Ratings | TVbytheNumbers

ABC announced its fall schedule yesterday, with a few returning freshmen shows (and Happy Endings) moving, but most of the schedule staying the same (Once Upon a Time, Castle, and Suburgatory all stayed put).

It looks like most of the new shows I want to try out on ABC are being held for midseason – including comedies How to Live With Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) and The Family Tools (both of their trailers look pretty decent and far funnier than the descriptions suggested) and perhaps drama Zero Hour (looks interesting, probably will depend on how busy I am).

For fall, I was planning to try out The Neighbors (which has taken Don’t Trust the B—-‘s spot on Wednesdays at 9:30, the returning comedy has moved to the same time on Tuesdays following Happy Endings), but the preview makes the show look pretty dumb. I don’t think it’ll last long, though the post-Modern Family slot might hold off the inevitable for a bit. Last Resort, on the other hand, looks great, and I hope it will fare well with the competitive 8/7c slot on Thursdays. 666 Park Street seems pretty much straight horror from the preview, so I’m likely to pass on it completely (I was hoping for something more along the lines of Grimm/Warehouse 13/Buffy – call me old-fashioned, but I prefer supernatural baddies that you can beat up and behead, with a cast who can quip to lighten the tension).

Looking back at ABC’s list of pilots, there are so many I wish had gotten picked up! Primarily Beauty and the Beast. At least there won’t be network wars over who can keep the title. And since Americana wasn’t picked up, Once Upon a Time’s Belle (Emilie de Ravin) can stay where she belongs. Gilded Lillys, Gotham, and Prairie Dogs also sounded good.

Continue reading ABC 2012-13 Primetime Schedule: ‘Revenge’ To Sunday, ‘Happy Endings,’ ‘Don’t Trust The B’ To Tuesday, ‘Last Man Standing’ To Friday – Ratings | TVbytheNumbers

Share this post:

New Fall TV Shows 2012 — Full List With Preview Photos – TVLine

The reason that I link to TVLine so often is because they are so awesome at what they do – for example, this planned-to-be-updated slideshow on the fall TV pickups. They do miss out on one thing, though – personal commentary. Which I’m happy to provide. I don’t treat shows with their evenhanded professionalism – I have my favorites, and I’m not afraid to talk about them more, bash (kindly) crappy shows, and outright ignore TV that I don’t think is worthy of attention.

While it’s hard to judge a potential show by a cast list, description, and possibly a cast photo (especially comedies), here’s my first thoughts on which shows I’ll be checking out next fall.

666 Park Avenue – ABC – possibly, want to check out the preview to see whether this leans toward horror or supernatural fun, more likely to watch if the latter.

1600 Penn – NBC – the fact that this is a comedy and stars Bill Pullman (who’s played a president before) makes me more likely to watch this.

Animal Practice – NBC – not feeling this comedy of about an antisocial vet. If the previews make me laugh and it’s a good timeslot, I might check it out, though.

Arrow – the CW – definitely will try out this one, superhero shows were notably missing on TV this past year.

Beauty and the Beast – the CW – the fact that Jay Ryan only sprouts his beast-like qualities when angry gives this a bit of a Grimm feel, and improves its less-than-impressive 80s pedigree.

Ben & Kate – Fox – could be fun, could be a disaster, waiting for previews to decide whether I’ll take it for a spin.

The Carrie Diaries – the CW – nope. Not gonna watch, no matter how much I like Annasophia Robb. The CW passed on The Selection for this?

Chicago Fire – NBC – how can a cast photo make me less interested in a show? Don’t know exactly, but this one does, and I wasn’t too hot about the show in the first place, despite enjoying Jesse Spencer on House. Thinking it may be this year’s Trauma.

Cult – the CW – high-concept show that has a description which bores me. A favorite actor might have reeled me in to try it, but I think the show-within-a-show aspect will eventually kill it.

Do No Harm – NBC – medical shows usually generate a pass for me, but the dark alter-ego thing might pull me in, if the previews wow me.

Elementary – CBS – I know this won’t live up to the awesomeness of BBC’s Sherlock, but since I enjoy most Holmes reimaginings I’ll give this a try.

The Family Tools – ABC – not really interested, but if the previews make me laugh, I might spare a half hour to give it a fair shot.

First Cut – the CW – pass. Medical meets high school drama sounds boring.

The Following – Fox – no serial killers for me, thank you.

Friend Me – CBS – checking this comedy out solely for Gupta (aka actor Parvesh Cheena)

Golden Boy – CBS – one guy’s journey from police officer to commissioner? Yawn.

The Goodwin Games – Fox – I like How I Met Your Mother, so if this show can make me laugh too, I’m in.

Go On – NBC – now this is a cast photo that works! I couldn’t have cared less about this show, but the tone set by the photo (above) makes me think it will be worth checking out.

Guys With Kids – NBC – sounds like a companion show for Up All Night, and since I don’t watch that . . .

Hannibal – NBC – did I mention no serial killers? Pity that Hugh Dancy will be in it, since I actually like his acting.

How To Live With Your Parents For the Rest of Your Life – ABC – could be fun, but shorten the title, please.

Infamous – NBC – intriguing undercover premise. I have a feeling I may pass on this out of sheer busyness, but I’ll let the previews make up my mind.

Last Resort – ABC – premise of a nuclear sub that refuses orders was enough to hook me, the additions of Dichen Lachman (Dollhouse) and Autumn Reeser (No Ordinary Family) to the cast made this a project I was rooting for.

Made in Jersey – CBS – not much info, but lawyer shows usually indicate a pass for me.

Malibu Country – ABC – if you knew my tastes in music, you’d understand why this is a huge NO.

The Mindy Project – Fox – curious to see what Kaling can do as not-Kelly, so despite the medical theme (boy, a lot of networks are trying to fill House’s place!), I’ll probably watch the pilot.

The Mob Doctor – Fox – I mean it, enough with the medical shows already! Ha, I have a feeling she’ll be digging a lot of bullets out of people.

Nashville – ABC – yes, country music is the genre I hate, so NO.

The Neighbors – ABC – a gated community of aliens? I have to see where they’re going to go with this.

The New Normal – NBC – pass.

Next Caller – NBC – another case of the cast photo working, plus Jeremy Tambor was great on Bent. This just moved from pass to checking out the pilot!

Partners – CBS – pass.

Red Widow – ABC – premise doesn’t pull me in enough.

Revolution – NBC – a few actors I’m familiar with and a decent premise make this a “see if the previews are any good” maybe for me.

Save Me – NBC – this just looks like a blend of creepy and blah. Huge pass.

Vegas – CBS – what is with networks and the 60s? Wanting the next Mad Men? Pass.

Zero Hour – ABC – need more info on what conspiracy they’re featuring, but this is leaning towards a pass.

New Fall TV Shows 2012 — Full List With Preview Photos – TVLine.

Share this post:

Carrie-Anne Moss Cast in Ralph Lamb CBS Pilot

Chuck’s Gertrude Verbanski (or should I say Casey’s?) is headed to the 1960s. Carrie-Anne Moss, most famous for her role of Trinity on The Matrix, will play an ADA.

Also in this post, Once Upon a Time’s Cinderella (Jessy Schram) is headed to ABC’s Last Resort, which is fast shaping up to be one of my most looked-forward-to pilots.

Carrie-Anne Moss Cast in Ralph Lamb CBS Pilot.

Share this post:

Dichen Lachman Cast in Last Resort — ABC

While the concept of Last Resort didn’t grip me immediately, the cast is starting to make it one of my most hope-it-gets-to-series pilots. No Ordinary Family’s Autumn Reeser was the start, and now they’ve added Dichen Lachman (Dollhouse, Being Human) to the cast!

Dichen Lachman Cast in Last Resort — ABC.

Share this post: