Monday, May 26, 2014

2014 Fall TV Previews and Predictions

Television networks have unveiled their fall lineup of new shows. Two year ago I took a look at some of their trailer offerings and predicted hits, misses and maybes. I thought I would do something similar but focusing on each network. But first…. Here are the results of my guessing game:

Hits I predicted: 
• Animal Practice (canceled)
• Elementary (on air - renewed for season 3)
• Emily Owens, M.D. (canceled)
• Go On (canceled)
• Revolution (canceled)

Misses I predicted: 
• Guys With Kids (canceled)
• Last Resort (canceled)
• Made In Jersey (canceled)
• Malibu Country (canceled)
• The Mob Doctor (canceled)
• Neighbors (canceled)
• The New Normal (canceled)
• Ben & Kate (canceled)
• Vegas (canceled)

Maybes I wasn’t sure about: 
• The Mindy Project (on air – renewed for season 3)
• Nashville (on air – renewed for season 3)
• Partners (canceled)

So now we’ll play game I’ll call “canceled or renewed”

CBS

Scorpian (drama)
Prediction: Renewed
Why: Enough character variety to be interesting, especially for back-stories. Like origin stories, character back-stories has always been a hit (e.g. many HIMYM episodes that focused on back-stories have been hits). It’s a mix of Big Bang Theory and 24, so it should be alright.

Madam Secretary (drama)
Prediction: Canceled
Why: I’m not sure why, just not feeling it.

The McCarthys (comedy)
Prediction: Canceled
Why: The jokes are not funny, the characters seem too shallow and the laugh track is relied on too much.

Stalker (suspense thriller)
Prediction: Canceled
Why: Interesting idea for a movie, but too weird to shine a light on a procedural show about stalking

NCIS: New Orleans (drama)
Prediction: Renewed
Why: NCIS and NCIS: LA seem to be doing well for themselves. It’s a safe bet to stick with a spin-off similar to the CSI or Law & Order models.

Extant (suspense thriller)
Prediction: Renewed
Why: Steven Spielberg produces, Halle Berry stars, yeah, that’s a winner. I think the question what is love is a very universal theme that many people can stand behind. Of course this makes a great movie idea, but I think it will see success on the small screen.

NBC

Constantine (drama)
Prediction: Renewed
Why: I think people will have a thing for the supernatural. Those shows seem to still be popular with cult followings (i.e. Supernatural)

State of Affairs (drama)
Prediction: Canceled
Why: Would make a great miniseries, but that’s about all.

Marry Me (comedy)
Prediction: Canceled
Why: Similar reasons to The McCarthy’s

Bad Judge (comedy)
Prediction: Canceled
Why: Reminds me of Made In Jersey, and we know how that turned out…

The Mysteries of Laura (drama)
Prediction: Canceled
Why: Just not feeling it…. (that’s a valid reason, right?)

A to Z (comedy)
Prediction: Renewed
Why: Let’s hope “The Mother” lasts longer in this romantic comedy series.

FOX

Backstrom (drama)
Prediction: Canceled
Why: No substance here.

Empire (drama)
Prediction: Canceled
Why: Just not feeling it.

Gang Related (drama)
Prediction: Canceled
Why: I just don’t see anything different from any other gang-related movie.

Gotham (drama)
Prediction: Renewed
Why: Not sure if this can be classified the same as Agents of SHIELD or even Arrow, but the direction this show is taking has everyone hopeful. Origin stories are big sellers, and to give supporting characters of the most beloved comic book hero a voice is a great path to take in storytelling.

Gracepoint (drama)
Prediction: Canceled
Why: Just not feeling it.

Hieroglyph (drama)
Prediction: Canceled
Why: Too risky to play this period piece, just not feeling it.

I Wanna Marry “Harry” (reality)
Prediction: Canceled
Why: Why?!

Mulaney (comedy)
Prediction: Canceled
Why: Using a formula similar to Seinfeld (stand-up comedian intro), it’s 20 years too late. The laugh gaffs just don’t work anymore.

Utopia (reality)
Prediction: Canceled
Why: It’s Survivor meets Big Brother, so why the skepticism if those two shows have succeeded fairly well? Maybe because the title is itself a self-fulfilling prophesy (utopia’s don’t exist, and I’m thinking a second season won’t either)

ABC

Selfie (comedy)
Prediction: Canceled
Why: So stupid. Seriously, no one is that self-absorbed. The concept is great, looking inwardly to fill our void of insecurities with superfluous online connections, but this doesn’t look relatable at all.

Manhattan Love Story (comedy)
Prediction: Canceled

Forever (drama)
 
Prediction: Canceled

Black-ish (comedy)
Prediction: Canceled
Why: So racist.

How To Get Away With Murder (legal thriller)
Prediction: Renewed
Why: There’s something about it that keeps you interested, perhaps its “who dunnit” feel.

Cristela (comedy)
Prediction: Canceled
Why: So racist.


So that’s my take on the big name networks. Interesting to see what will stay and what will make it past season 1 (season 3 is an indication you had a good run, anything beyond that can be counted as success – in my own opinion). What shows are you looking forward to this fall?

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