TNT Orders Legends and The Last Ship to Series, Fox Picks Up Eight Shows, Including Enlisted

TV news for next season is starting to heat up, and I’m back to blogging about it as I try to make sense of what’s going on, share the joy of new projects seeing the light of day, and rant about pilots not picked up.

TNT ordered 10 episodes of two new series I’ve been excited about for a while, thanks to one key role and a decent premise. Adam Baldwin’s The Last Ship features a previously-isolated crew racing to find a cure for a global pandemic. Sean Bean’s Legends has the CIA’s top chameleon operative suffering a break with reality amid his many covers.

I watched both trailers for the new shows (which the above loglines are based on), and both seem slightly different from their original premises. I’m not sure if it’s that, or the fact that my TV watching time has been drastically cut, but I’m less excited about these projects than I was initially. Both are going into my “wait and see the reviews/ratings” box for now, and I imagine they’ll stay there for a while. Now that Leverage is over, the only veteran show I’m watching on TNT is last year’s Perception, which was unique and well done enough to stay on my “to watch” list. (I should really make these into real lists and share them – perhaps after upfronts?)

Fox has ordered 4 dramas and 4 comedies (to add to the already-picked-up Dads, which got expanded from 6 to 13 episodes), quite a lot for a channel that doesn’t program anything from 10-11.

Out of the eight, I’m most excited about Enlisted, a military comedy starring Geoff Stults, Chris Lowell, and Parker Young (who play three brothers). Stults won me over completely in The Finder and I also enjoyed his reoccurring role on Ben & Kate, so I’d be at least previewing almost any new show he would be cast in. I’m sad to see that Young will be leaving Suburgatory, since I love his character on that show, but I’m glad he’ll have more of a starring role in this project. Lowell I know mainly as Piz from Veronica Mars, so I’ll have to get a new opinion of his acting now that he won’t be getting in the way of one of my favorite TV couples.

For the other comedies, Us & Them seems the one I’m most likely to watch, with Gilmore Girls’ Alexis Bledel returning to TV and a fun premise: a long-distance relationship with family and friends butting in. Brooklyn Nine-Nine puts a comedy spin on a cop show, and Surviving Jack stars Christopher Meloni. Dads may also warrant a preview, as Seth Green (Oz from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) plays one of the two guys whose fathers move in with them.

I’m disappointed Delirium didn’t get picked up to series. While the sci-fi premise was a bit hokey (a procedure to remove love?), it reminded me of Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee’s novel Forbidden. And I enjoy Emma Roberts’ acting.

I doubt I will watch any of Fox’s new dramas. I may check out Almost Human (an android/human buddy cop show) if the trailer leans more toward sci-fi than cop drama. Rake has Greg Kinnear, but I’m not piqued by a law drama take on House. The story of Sleepy Hollow never interested me, and Gang Related just seems like another cop show with a conflicted loyalties twist (and medical drama with a conflicted loyalties twist worked out so well for The Mob Doctor).

Do you plan to watch any of these new shows?

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Favorite TV Couples Ultimate Showdown

Back when we did our favorite TV couples polls (with realistic and speculative divisions) last spring, I promised that in the fall, we’d have the winners from those polls face each other in an ultimate showdown. Friends, that time is now. The top 20 couples in each of the two polls have joined together with 10 newbie wild card competitors to determine which couples are truly TV’s top 10!

Since this poll will take place over Thanksgiving (for us Americans), I’ll keep the poll open through the end of the month, giving you a full 15 days to get the word out for your favorite couples. You can vote for up to 10 couples, but choose carefully, as you only get to vote once! (Oh, and be sure to enter our Friends giveaway!)

Unlike most of our polls, you can’t nominate other couples, since this is based on the results of two previous polls. Even for our ten wild card additions, I only choose couples that did not appear in the previous polls. Some were overlooked, some are newer shows or newer couples, but I chose 5 from speculative shows and 5 from shows without speculative elements: Brad and Jane from Happy Endings, Nick and Jess from New Girl, Auggie and Annie from Covert Affairs, Troy and Britta from Community, Daniel and Kate from Perception, Oliver and Laurel from Arrow, John and Rachel from Alphas, Fargo and Holly from Eureka, Nathan and Audrey from Haven, and Adama and Roslin from Battlestar Galactica.

Fans have used Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, forums, Reddit, Pinterest, blogs, and chatboxes to get the word out about past polls. Our toolbar at the bottom of the page has lots of quick links to help you share this post, or you can mouse over the image above!

Without further ado, choose your favorite 10 out of the 50 couples below! Poll will close Friday night, November 30th.

Which is your favorite TV couple? (Choose up to 10!)

  • Castle and Beckett (Castle) (9%, 1,283 Votes)
  • Tony and Ziva (NCIS) (8%, 1,160 Votes)
  • Elena and Damon (The Vampire Diaries) (5%, 680 Votes)
  • Derek and Meredith (Grey's Anatomy) (4%, 621 Votes)
  • Arthur and Gwen (Merlin) (4%, 555 Votes)
  • Scully and Mulder (The X-Files) (4%, 517 Votes)
  • Booth and Brennan (Bones) (3%, 474 Votes)
  • The Doctor and Rose (Doctor Who) (3%, 462 Votes)
  • McGee and Abby (NCIS) (3%, 461 Votes)
  • Barney and Robin (How I Met Your Mother) (3%, 398 Votes)
  • Chandler and Monica (Friends) (3%, 389 Votes)
  • Kensi and Deeks (NCIS: Los Angeles) (3%, 387 Votes)
  • Luke and Lorelai (Gilmore Girls) (2%, 330 Votes)
  • Rachel and Ross (Friends) (2%, 311 Votes)
  • Charming and Snow (Once Upon a Time) (2%, 304 Votes)
  • Marshall and Lily (How I Met Your Mother) (2%, 276 Votes)
  • Hodgins and Angela (Bones) (2%, 273 Votes)
  • Buffy and Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) (2%, 265 Votes)
  • Nick and Jess (New Girl) (2%, 262 Votes)
  • Leonard and Penny (The Big Bang Theory) (2%, 244 Votes)
  • Peter and Olivia (Fringe) (2%, 240 Votes)
  • Chuck and Sarah (Chuck) (2%, 238 Votes)
  • Wash and Zoe (Firefly) (2%, 232 Votes)
  • Peter and Elizabeth (White Collar) (2%, 231 Votes)
  • Mal and Inara (Firefly) (2%, 227 Votes)
  • Leo and Piper (Charmed) (2%, 223 Votes)
  • Rumpelstiltskin and Belle (Once Upon a Time) (2%, 217 Votes)
  • Auggie and Annie (Covert Affairs) (1%, 206 Votes)
  • Sheldon and Amy (The Big Bang Theory) (1%, 192 Votes)
  • Buffy and Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) (1%, 188 Votes)
  • Shawn and Juliet (Psych) (1%, 175 Votes)
  • Emma and Graham (Once Upon a Time) (1%, 170 Votes)
  • Michael and Fiona (Burn Notice) (1%, 169 Votes)
  • Adama and Roslin (Battlestar Galactica) (1%, 166 Votes)
  • Eric and Sookie (True Blood) (1%, 166 Votes)
  • Eric and Nell (NCIS: Los Angeles) (1%, 164 Votes)
  • Elena and Stefan (The Vampire Diaries) (1%, 163 Votes)
  • Simon and Kaylee (Firefly) (1%, 144 Votes)
  • Cole and Phoebe (Charmed) (1%, 138 Votes)
  • Willow and Oz (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) (1%, 114 Votes)
  • John and Mary (Supernatural) (1%, 104 Votes)
  • Ned and Chuck (Pushing Daisies) (1%, 97 Votes)
  • Nathan and Audrey (Haven) (1%, 89 Votes)
  • Oliver and Laurel (Arrow) (1%, 85 Votes)
  • Ellie and Awesome (Chuck) (1%, 74 Votes)
  • Troy and Britta (Community) (0%, 53 Votes)
  • Brad and Jane (Happy Endings) (0%, 43 Votes)
  • Daniel and Kate (Perception) (0%, 27 Votes)
  • Fargo and Holly (Eureka) (0%, 26 Votes)
  • John and Rachel (Alphas) (0%, 18 Votes)

Total Voters: 4,413

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Beauty and the Beast – Pilot

I’d heard that the pilot episode of Beauty and the Beast was awful, but I actually enjoyed it. It could have been better, yes. No, it didn’t sizzle, but there were enough good elements for the show to build on I think it will improve with time. The premiere got good ratings (for the CW, at least), so hopefully it will get that time.

The thing that surprised me most about the show was its Castle-like vibe. And it’s not only Kristin Kreuk’s character aping Beckett (with the mother’s death, becoming a cop, and understated-yet-confident detective skills), but something about the sets/filming style reminded me of the show as well (don’t know enough about the technical side of things to pinpoint exact what, though). And even though Kreuk is “CW-pretty,” she still makes a decently believable police detective (unlike Perception’s Rachael Leigh Cook, who still looks more like a high schooler than an FBI agent).

Jay Ryan as Vincent Keller, on the other hand, seems far too young for his character. The actor is 31 but looks mid-twenties, but even if the character was only months into his residency when 9/11 occurred (it’s stated that he was a doctor at that time), he’d have to be at least 37 or some sort of genius who was able to graduate from either high school, college, or medical school (or all three) early. And what secret government agency would do experiments on a trained doctor instead of a grunt or an exceptional soldier? At the very least, weren’t they worried a doctor would figure things out? Unless something comes to light later as reasons for these issues (the program targeted soldiers with high IQs, the modified DNA slows down the aging process, etc.), it seems a bit of a cop out to make Vincent a handsome young doctor.

Also, as many reviews have complained, one cheek scar and an occasional Hulk-out (which only changes Vincent’s face as much as half a Grimm woge) do not a beast make. While the previous Beauty and the Beast show’s full lion face was ridiculous, there really is very little that is beast-like about Vincent.

While the two actors have chemistry together, much of Cat figuring out what’s going on seemed awkward. I was impressed by her fighting skills (taking on three people at the subway station? You go, girl!), but annoyed that most of Vincent’s fights took place off screen. No, I don’t want to see dismembering, but if his abilities are the main beast-like quality about him, we should have a better idea of what they are.

As far as the rest of the cast goes, Cat’s partner, her boss, the medical examiner (with a delightful British accent), and Vincent’s roommate all seem decent enough, but we didn’t spend enough time with them to get a good feel of how they’ll contribute to the show in future episodes.

I’m ranking this pilot 4th out of the new drama premieres I’ve seen, and I plan to keep watching.

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‘Perception’ Renewed by TNT – Ratings | TVbytheNumbers

Good news for Perception fans! The freshman drama has been renewed by TNT for a second 13-episode season.

No news on what that means for other TNT shows that are yet to be renewed – most notably Franklin & Bash and Leverage.

Are you a fan of Perception? Do you think the show deserves this renewal?

‘Perception’ Renewed by TNT – Ratings | TVbytheNumbers.

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Monday Madness: Favorite Brilliant Yet Crazy Characters

This Monday Madness, in honor of TNT’s new show, Perception (which premieres Monday, July 9th, at 10/9c), we’re looking at TV’s brilliant yet crazy characters. Perception centers around a schizophrenic neuroscientist (Eric McCormack) who works with FBI Agent Kate Moretti (Rachel Lee Cook) to solve complex criminal cases. Perception also stars Arjay Smith and Kelly Rowan, with special appearances by Levar Burton.

For the purposes of this poll, I’m defining “crazy” as anywhere from clinically insane to mild disorders to kind of quirky. “Brilliant” ranges anywhere from off-the-charts IQ to uniquely skilled in a certain area (though most lean toward high IQ).

This poll will be open for one week, and you can choose up to 10 of your favorite smart, zany characters. Be sure to spread the word so your favorites will make it into the top 10! Fans have used Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, forums, Reddit, blogs, and chatboxes to get the word out about past polls. Get creative!

Even though there are 20-some options on this list, I know there are brilliant-crazy characters I left out! You can nominate ones I missed in the comments until Thursday night, and I may add them to the poll (from live-action scripted shows only, please, and avoid villains unless they’re a major part of the show).

Want more of a say in who makes it onto the poll each week? Be sure to follow me on Twitter or like TV Breakroom on Facebook, since I usually ask for nominations for the next Monday Madness the weekend before the new poll. Please help out with nominations! There are only so many shows I can watch personally, so I’m counting on you to fill me in!

Without further ado, here’s the poll for this week’s Monday Madness! Voting ends around 1AM July 9th.

Who's your favorite brilliant but crazy character? (Choose up to 10)

  • River Tam (Summer Glau) - Firefly (16%, 1,291 Votes)
  • Castiel (Misha Collins) - Supernatural (11%, 916 Votes)
  • Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) - Sherlock (7%, 549 Votes)
  • Walter Sherman (Geoff Stults) - The Finder (6%, 456 Votes)
  • Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) - The Big Bang Theory (5%, 411 Votes)
  • The Doctor (various) - Doctor Who (5%, 402 Votes)
  • Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette) - NCIS (4%, 318 Votes)
  • Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) - House (4%, 317 Votes)
  • Parker (Beth Riesgraf) - Leverage (3%, 259 Votes)
  • Shawn Spencer (James Roday) - Psych (3%, 244 Votes)
  • Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi) - Community (3%, 234 Votes)
  • Zack Addy (Eric Mulligan) - Bones (3%, 220 Votes)
  • Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) - Dexter (3%, 214 Votes)
  • Walter Bishop (John Noble) - Fringe (3%, 210 Votes)
  • Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) - Monk (2%, 192 Votes)
  • Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik) - The Big Bang Theory (2%, 188 Votes)
  • Mozzie (Willie Garson) - White Collar (2%, 185 Votes)
  • Fred Burkle (Amy Acker) - Angel (2%, 181 Votes)
  • Claudia Donovan (Allison Scagliotti) - Warehouse 13 (2%, 134 Votes)
  • Topher Brink (Fran Kranz) - Dollhouse (2%, 132 Votes)
  • Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi) - Chuck (2%, 127 Votes)
  • Murdoch (Dwight Schultz) - The A-Team (2%, 125 Votes)
  • Fiona Glenanne (Gabrielle Anwar) - Burn Notice (2%, 123 Votes)
  • Cal Lightman (Tim Roth) - Lie to Me (1%, 108 Votes)
  • Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) - The Office (1%, 94 Votes)
  • Gary Bell (Ryan Cartwright) - Alphas (1%, 86 Votes)
  • Daisy Wick (Carla Gallo) - Bones (1%, 83 Votes)
  • Gaius Baltar (James Callis) - Battlestar Galactica (1%, 79 Votes)
  • Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) - Homeland (1%, 42 Votes)
  • Seymour Birkhoff (Aaron Stanford) - Nikita (0%, 39 Votes)
  • Robert Goren (Vincent D'Onofrio) - Law & Order: Criminal Intent (0%, 34 Votes)
  • Billy Chenowith (Jeremy Sisto) - Six Feet Under (0%, 15 Votes)
  • Jeffrey Geiger (Mandy Patinkin) - Chicago Hope (0%, 14 Votes)
  • Tony Hill (Robson Green) - Wire in the Blood (0%, 13 Votes)

Total Voters: 2,717

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