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?

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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?

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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

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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.

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