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New Fall Shows Recap -- Part Two

Here is part two of my television recap. Thanks to all of you who commented on the first one.

NEW SHOWS:
Arrow (CW Wednesday at 8.00)
Everything I know about Green Arrow I learned from Smallville. Although there are similarities between the two shows, this is not your father’s Oliver Queen. Much darker; much more violent; in many ways, much better. I have never read the comics, so I cannot comment on how faithful this was to them, but I loved it and can’t wait for the second episode. J.D. reviewed the pilot.

Nashville (ABC Wednesday at 10.00)
This show got a lot of really positive press buzz before the premiere, and for good reason. It is fantastic! Both Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights) and Hayden Panettiere (Heroes) are superb, both acting and singing. Did I mention the music is wonderful? Give this one a shot.

Chicago Fire (NBC Wednesday at 10.00)
Dick Wolf has moved from the police department to the fire department. One of the things that made Law & Order so good was that it was all about the case. We knew almost nothing about the characters’ private lives and we didn’t need to. This is exactly the opposite. There is a fair amount of fire fighting, but in the first hour we learn something personal about everyone in the squad. And, the two men who hate each other end up saving each other’s lives. Not the greatest pilot I’ve ever seen, but I’ll watch next week just to see if the two couples I think are cheating actually are.

Beauty and the Beast (CW Thursday at 9.00)
All I need to say is that when Vincent “beasted out,” I burst out laughing. This one may profit from the fact that its lead-in is the very strong Vampire Diaries, but I am hoping that most people have the sense to change the channel. Josie reviewed the pilot -- sort of.

Emily Owens, M.D. (CW Tuesday at 9.00)
Grey’s Lite, this is a very standard medical drama. The heroine is a spunky, insecure first year intern who, on her first day, saves a life and helps a daughter re-connect with her mother. While we’ve seen it all many, many times, I must admit that my heart broke for Emily a bit when she told her crush how she felt and he rejected her. Probably not one I will follow religiously, but it was good enough.

OVERALL:
ABC didn’t have a great premiere season. Only The Neighbors has had a positive response from the network and that is only to order three new scripts. Although Last Resort was my favorite pilot, the last few episodes have fallen a bit flat. It needs to pick up its game as well as its numbers.

CBS fared better. Both Vegas and Elementary are doing all right in the numbers and I, for one, would like to see both of them survive. Partners hasn’t made the numbers and will most likely not make it to sweeps. Made in Jersey, as I predicted, lasted all of two episodes. A shame; it was a sweet little show.

The CW must be dancing in their offices. Both Beauty and the Beast and Arrow had good opening numbers for the network. But, it’s hard to tell how much of that was just pilot watching and whether or not the shows will sustain the numbers.

NBC was the first to order full seasons of three of its shows, so it appears they are happy with their freshmen. Revolution is currently their highest rated show. Go On is also doing well, but interestingly, people are changing the channel rather than watch The New Normal. I say interestingly because I think the latter is the better of the two shows. I do think, however, that it may be a bit too on the nose for some.

Fox appears happy with its freshman comedies; it appears less happy with the new drama. Both Ben and Kate and The Mindy Project have been given full season orders. The Mob Doctor will almost certainly not make it to sweeps.


FINAL EVALUATION:
Biggest Disappointment = 666 Park Avenue. Great cast and great premise, but lousy show.

Biggest Shock Hit = Ben and Kate. I know that a lot of people like it, but I loathe it. I gave it another episode, but it just doesn’t resonate with me at all.

Best Actor = Andre Braugher in Last Resort. Playing just this side of insane, he is breathtakingly good. Too bad it’s not enough to carry this show, at least not yet.

Best Actress = Connie Britton in Nashville. She can sing as well!

Best Duo = Either Quaid/Chiklis in Vegas or Miller/Liu in Elementary.

Best Comedy = The New Normal, but I’m beginning to fade on it a bit.

Best Drama = Revolution, but get through the second episode which is pretty bad. Currently my favorite new show, but I can see Nashville giving it a run for its money.

Agree or do you think I'm crazy? Sound off below.

14 comments:

  1. Loved Braugher on Homicide many moons ago..Good to know he's still doing good work.
    I liked Arrow a lot, and hated Beauty and the beast. We'll see how they do.
    Great recap.
    Anna

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  2. We still disagree on Ben and Kate --- I managed to catch up and it is still making me laugh on a fairly regular basis, and the cast dynamic is continuing to gel --- but I'm with you on Nashville and Last Resort.

    I really only watched Nashville because of my undying love for Mrs. Coach, but I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed the pilot. I especially loved that last song. I was humming it for days afterward, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how the second episode goes. It could easily go downhill into extremely soapy territory. I hope that Connie Britton's influence helps it rise above that.

    Last Resort is my current example of "good pilot gone flat," as you say. I have not really enjoyed the last few episodes of that show. The second one was okay, but the third one did almost nothing for me. The sub stuff felt far too "been there, done that" (I'm a big sub movie fan), and the island stuff is rather scattered. The pairing of the bartender and the Navy SEAL is not working for me. I'll give it a few more eps, but the show isn't wowing me right now. And even my undying love for Frank Pembleton isn't going to keep me hanging on. :)

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  3. No comment Chris....


    I watch NONE of the aforementioned shows. LOL. Watched both Revolution and Last Resort pilots, but it didn't spark. Oh heck, already happy with the 13 shows that I follow.

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  4. Terrific recap, Chris. It's surprising how much I'm not watching, considering the fact that write a TV blog. It's getting to the point where I don't bother with the new shows any more until someone says, hey, check [show name here] out, it's great. And even then, I wind up waiting for renewal news before committing. Maybe I've just been hurt too many times. :)

    I did make an exception for Revolution because of Kripke, Abrams, and Esposito, but I keep being surprised that it's doing so well in the ratings. That almost never happens.

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  5. Thanks, all, for the comments. We all seem to share a common affection for a certain Baltimore detective who hasn't been on our screens for 15 years or so.

    Billie -- I am not fanatical about any of the new shows, I'm afraid. I do like some of them, but none of them are on my "must see" list. Our two boys in their Impala, our newly created vampire and our latest romance are the only ones there at the moment.

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  6. It's funny you should mention Arrow and Emily Owens MD in the same post... because the first is part of what's pulling me out of the second!
    To be more specific GREEN ARROW, as in Oliver Queen from Smallville aka Justin Hartley. He's on Emily Owens as a fellow Resident and I just can't feel him in that mild role! Specially not a few days after having seen Arrow and being reminded of the other Oliver Queen... Just too weird! :p

    Last Resort did not resonate with me at all! For once it's something I would have preferred as a movie. Just get it over with! After the pilot I was like meh...

    Of the new shows this year I think I'll just give Revolution, Arrow, Elementary and Nashville. I quite enjoyed the Mob Doctor but I get the feeling it will be cancelled...

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  7. Cris -- I agree! Justin Hartley just didn't sell the role at all, plus it made me sad when he made Emily cry...

    Add Vegas to your list of new shows and I'm with you!

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  8. Fifteen years? Now I feel old. But yes, Pembleton was great. He and Bayliss were one of my favourite detective duos.
    Anna

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  9. Want to feel even older, Anna? Come January, it will have been 20 years since Homicide premiered! It just doesn't seem that long ago. Maybe because I occasionally bust out my disks of the first few seasons and bask in the glory of the early years. Pembleton and Bayliss were probably the best partnership on the show (despite all their dysfunction and damage), but I rather loved Munch and Bolander, too. And Howard and Felton were a pretty good duo when the show started.

    Dammit. Now I want to watch some of the early episodes again. Nothing new this season compares to a great classic. :)

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  10. Twenty years? Wow! Assume you all know that the same guys who did Homicide also did The Wire. Now, that's great television!

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  11. Me too. Munch has been on many shows, but he resonated most with me on Homicide. Loved Michelle Forbes as Juliana Cox. I always like her even if she's a villain like on True Blood. I'm still freaked out by the guy who buried himself alive in a Homicide episode..at least I think it was Homicide.
    Anna

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  12. Hi Chris..
    my above reply was to Jess..Yes I am about to watch the Wire soon.
    Anna

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  13. Thanks for the excellent recap, Chris! It was really helpful for sorting through all the new stuff. Nashville and Ben And Kate (sorry!) are the keepers for me. Arrow and Elementary are fine but if I never saw another one of either I don't think it would ruin my life. As a New Zealander it was my patriotic duty to watch Beauty And The Beast, and while I was impressed by Jay as Vincent (he's not even slightly like that usually, particularly the voice) I don't think I can stick with it even for him.

    Gavrielle

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  14. Although I am enjoying Last Resort, Elementary, and to a lesser extent Revolution...I find I am still more interested in finishing Season 7 of Supernatural on Netflix than catching up with any missed episodes of these shows.
    And rather than add new shows, I find I am already having a hard time keeping up with the ones I am watching (Fringe, Haven, Grimm, UOAT).

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