After seeing sneak peeks of the new Abc fall lineup these are snapshots of what they’re like painted with what I think. Also I’ve peeked at some footage of shows that have already started and expressed my thoughts. They are at the end of this list.
Better with You
Family Comedy where each family member is in a different place (married a long time, married a little while, engaged). The people are doing outrageous things or in outrageous situations. People probably won’t watch every episode but you’ll watch it when you have time and need to relax and it will be enjoyable. The premier on Wednesday September 22nd at 8:30/7:30c will probably be the most entertaining episode.
Body of Proof
It has depth that very few writers are able to achieve. It will be entertaining and as well emotional. I just hope it won’t turn out like gray’s anatomy where they put the characters through so much agony that the only logical course of action for the characters is to go insane and without that it’s not realistic. Or like law and order where the cases are so depressing that after watching a couple episodes you become paranoid. But it could be like Bones where there’s funny, emotional, and unique cases that entertain without bringing too much realism that brings the ugliness of the real world to the time we use to avoid it. It’s on Fridays this fall check Abc.com for timing it has yet to be determined.
Detroit 1-8-7
It looks like it could be a unique cop drama which is hard to find these days. There seems to be a great mix of emotional, realistic, and funny. The realistic isn’t just in the negative portions of the show either, there are some heartwarming sections which explore how people could work in an occupation where you see the worst of people and still can be positive. This could in fact prevent the audience from getting too depressed as well. Premiers Tuesday Sept 21st 10/9c.
My Generation
A TV drama that uses a documentary style. It doesn’t sound like a promising set up to me but the characters are all really different and their stories are the same (also different). It brings reality into a drama which could work if they keep a balance between the good and the bad, which they seem to be doing well. It asks a lot of the characters and will force the viewers to try and live up to their full potential. Reality and drama nuts alike should check out the pilot on Wednesday Sept 23nd 8/7c.
No ordinary Family
An ordinary family gains super powers after an accident. They are dedicated to each other and have real lives. I was going to ask where all the superheroes went. Heroes was a huge disappointment in that, they failed to work together in a common cause. Which since the family already has a strong bond, Mother to children, father to children and spouse to spouse they are already in a good position to work together. I will certainly be a fan of this show. And it’s funny to boot. Premiers Tues Sept 28th 8/7c.
Secret Millionaire
It is a reality based show but with secret identities. A millionaire goes undercover as a lower class American working with other lower class Americans. At the end of each episode is heart touching moments when the millionaire reveals his true identity to the lower class community he or she was working in and gives away money to those he or she feels are in the most need of it. It’s on Fridays this fall check Abc.com for timing it has yet to be determined.
The Whole Truth
This show is a great way to make the legal drama not only more exciting but realistic. Of course the title suggests that the audience will know the truth by the time the episode ends but in reality the whole truth is rarely known by anyone, it’s all perspective. Sticking to this notion could frustrate the audience yet not could also. Hopefully the writers can fall somewhere in between. Premiers Wednesday Sept 22nd 10/9c.
Happy Endings
It looks possibly promising. I’d like it to turn out well but it’s using a lot of cliches so we’ll see. It could however turn into a friends type show if the writers can keep it up without making it ridiculous which it’s borderline right now. There’s more to life than romantic relationships, really there is. I know we’ve all been brainwashed to think that life’s all about romance. And the characters are fairly flat; they need to be more different personality wise like in friends. Also Happy Endings as the title where does that play in? Premiers later in the season check abc.com later in the season.
Mr. Sunshine
Has a good cast. Quoting Mathew Perry, the star of Mr. Sunshine “Mr Sunshine is about a group of dysfunctional co-workers, who run the sunshine center, which is a sports arena; an entertainment complex.” It is funny because the writers are creative. But it can be depressing and unrealistic to the point of obnoxious. Hopefully they turn depressing into lovable, it can be done. Premiers later in the season check abc.com later in the season.
Off the Map
A drama about doctors who are working in the Amazon; it seems touching not only about the patience but about exploring three characters of three different doctors. Hopefully it won’t turn into a gray’s Anatomy where the bad outweighs the good and the romantic relationships are 90% of the medical drama. It should be about people and all that can happen in life. Why they are there and what they are looking for and then the things they find what they expect and especially what they don’t expect. I see funny but I also see some unrealistic which I can ignore as long as the funny stays. Premiers later in the season check abc.com later in the season.
Shows that have already started;
BostonMed
A reality show that looks unique yet can’t avoid bringing the ugliness of the real world to the time we use to avoid it because it is a reality show. It could be classified as news because it seems that it will educate about how hospitals and people who work in them function.
Dating in the Dark
At first glance it sounded dirty. But the idea provides a way for people to become verbally acquainted with each other without the need to be physically attractive. Yet the show fails at this premise by making their cases attractive. It is a reality show and therefore goes very slowly and the outcome will be unknown and or ambiguous.
The Deep End
The Deep End seems to be Gray’s Anatomy with Law Students. The writers will continuously try to up themselves and as a result put their characters through so much agony that we won’t be able to watch it anymore if we actually care about the characters. Therefore I am choosing not to watch but the first season of these shows are usually very good.
Downfall
A game show. As most game shows are it will be slow but could be a good source of entertainment if you have time to kill. It helps to know the answers of course.
The Gates
A somewhat unique idea, at least for ABC (supernatural and Vampire Diaries on CW do the same type of thing) bringing myth into the reality of the real world and seeing how they can survive together. There’s a lot of drama and attempt at realism. Of course with myth realism is relative. However in the past this idea hasn’t done so well especially with so many characters under so much personal crisis. It gets exhausting. Look to Wolf Lake and Moonlight for an example of this. And unanswered mystery can be frustrating for the audience. Look to Dark Angel for an example of this. It’s also hard to tell the characters apart there’s so many of them and they all look very attractive and relatively the same. Good intentions (Like trying to do something other than a cop drama or medical drama) are often not received so well. But you never know maybe after all the medical and cop dramas people will look to this and say wow that’s good. (Look to The Prince and Me and Underworld Rise of the Lycans for common actors.)
Happy Town
There’s murder, mystery, mayhem perhaps too much mystery. It’s dark and the better characters go through hell. It seems very mixed in terms of plot type. There is a world without a clear sense of right and wrong it needs to be fixed but no one seems to be fixing it at least getting very far. The obstacles are too high and mysterious. There’s a lot of havoc and dirty characters. You can always wait and see what happens to the characters who are neck deep in mud see if they clean themselves up or get themselves dirtier but the good guys are going to get dirty, get killed, or go insane. If it had more good qualities, wasn’t as dark, had more comedy, I would be a fan. But if that doesn’t bother you then it will be a thrill for you.
Food Revolution
It’s a reality show about food. Goes through what’s good to eat. It’s informative like the news.
