Category: New TV

Winter TV 2020: Only one show worth watching

With broadcast TV seemingly waning, fewer and fewer new shows premiere.
Winter shows tend to be shows that weren’t good enough for the fall. With one exception, this rings true.

‘Zoey’s extraordinary playlist’

9 p.m. Sundays on NBC

As creative as this show seems to be, it’s basically “Glee” with “That’s So Raven” mixed in.

After a surge happens during her MRI, Zoey can hear and see song and dance around her, including people’s inner thoughts.

The show is full of stars (Lauren Graham, Peter Gallagher, Mary Steenburgen), but they don’t always sing. They’re smart enough to let Skylar Astin and Alex Newell (who was on “Glee”) sing in the pilot.

It’s a bit of a ridiculous concept, but the song and dance numbers are entertaining.

Watch it

‘Katy Keene’

8 p.m. Thursdays on the CW

Greg Berlanti can’t stop, won’t stop when it comes to producing shows for the CW. This “Riverdale” spinoff (Josie is on this show, moving in with Katy, a friend of Veronica’s, a few years after the timeline of when “Riverdale” is now) just shows a less gritty side. Think less “Arrow,” more “Love, Simon.”

Lucy Hale carries the teen soap well, but without a hair or rhinestone out of place, this NYC too pristine.

Try it

‘Indebted’

9:30 p.m. Thursdays on NBC

With a cast of B-list TV actors (Abby Elliott, Adam Pally, Steven Weber) and Fran Drescher, this show my blood boil.

It’s basically a suburban version of “Schitt’s Creek,” so I don’t know if Dan Levy is out of ideas or if NBC just really wanted The Nanny back on TV.

In either case, even though the pilot references Facebook campaigns and Drake, it feels dated and stale, especially with the Jewish and Indian stereotypes.

Skip it

‘For Life’

10 p.m. Tuesdays on ABC

What’s your method to a better life? Hard work and good will is how Aaron Wallace looks at it.

Wallace has a life sentence for a crime he didn’t commit, so he becomes a lawyer to help others overturn their wrongful sentences.

The courtroom drama is more than that; there’s family strain with Wallace’s family back home and possible back-door deals for political agendas.

Based (loosely, of course) on the real-life story of Isaac Wright, Jr., there is an obvious end to the story, but watching someone fight for justice for others is appealing.

Try it

‘Outmatched’

8:30 p.m. Thursdays on FOX

If Eric and Donna from “That 70s Show” had kids …would they still have a basement?

Because that’s how this show feels.

Jason Biggs and Maggie Lawson star as average parents who have four children, three of which are geniuses. And they retreat to the basement to chat and, in one instance, smoke.

Overall, the comedy is boring. The kids are over acting, and Biggs and Lawson recite lines like they’re just there to collect a paycheck.

Skip it

‘Tommy’

10 p.m. Thursdays on CBS

Racism, sexism, immigration, gangs, divorce, LGBT representation … how many issues can we stuff in one show?

Edie Falco carries it well, but it’s hard to keep straight what the point is of this cop drama.

Maybe the pilot just tried too hard, and it’ll focus its issues more in episodes to come. If that’s the case, it could have potential to be thought-provoking.

Skip it

‘Duncanville’

8:30 p.m. Sundays on FOX

This comedy was way more enjoyable for me than other Sunday Fox animated series.

It may be the plethora of pop culture references or hearing Amy Poehler and Ty Burrell again, but it’s a cute, irreverant comedy about family and growing up.

I just expect the references to continue.

Try it

Fall TV 2019: ‘Nancy Drew,’ ‘Almost Family’ disappointing

Broadcast TV really isn’t what it used to be.

Here are my quick takes on the lastest new fall TV shows (spoiler, it’s not great):

Kids say the darndest things

8 p.m. Sundays on ABC

You’d think this show would be cute, but it feels stale and even Tiffany Haddish can’t fully save it.

Proceed with caution

Almost family

9 p.m. Wednesdays on Fox

This dramedy seemed heartwarming, but the premise is so disgusting it ruined the potential sweet moments.

Skip it

Batwoman

8 p.m. Sundays on the CW

While the next in the CW superhero show in the lineup is formulaic, the pilot ends on a shocking (to me) twist that could make future episodes enjoyable.

Proceed with caution

Nancy Drew

9 p.m. Wednesdays on the CW

This show, based on the book series, is basically “Riverdale” but with a true mystery focus…and bad acting.

Skip it

Let’s hope the cable/streaming new shows are better (I’ll be checking out “The Politician” soon)

Fall TV 2019: ‘Unicorn,’ ‘Stumptown’ worth a watch

No one has time to watch all the new fall TV shows, so I’ll help you out.

Course, many of them weren’t worth watching.

Here are my quick takes.

Bob ❤️ ️Abishola

8:30 p.m. Mondays on CBS

The only part of this show that doesn’t feel outdated is the emoji in the title.

Skip

Prodigal Son

9 p.m. Mondays on Fox

“White Collar” meets “CSI” with a father/son version of “Bates Motel.”

Proceed with caution

All Rise

9 a.m. Mondays on CBS

It’s “Drop Dead Diva” without the soap-opera feel but with commentary on race and women in the workplace.

Proceed with caution

Bluff City Law

10 p.m. Mondays on NBC

I would’ve rather wasted another half-hour on this father-daughter courtroom melodrama as part of a TBS Saturday movie marathon than watch an entire series.

Skip

mixed-ish

9 p.m. Tuesdays on ABC

This overdone spinoff basically mimics “black-ish” with B-list white actors (looking at you, Gary Cole).

Skip

Emergence

10 p.m. Tuesdays on ABC

While this sci-fi, crime and mystery show had a lot of hype around it, it would’ve been better as a limited series.

Skip

Stumptown

10 p.m. Wednesdays on ABC

Clearly ABC wants this graphic novel-based show to succeed (its music budget alone must be huge with all the 80s hits), and it’s nice to see a woman leading the chase.

Try

The Unicorn

8:30 p.m. Thursdays on CBS

I’m not the right audience for this, but this new-phase-of-life comedy seems to have some heart.

Try

Perfect Harmony

8:30 p.m. Thursdays on NBC

A Simon Cowell type gets a glee club filled with so many archetypes you won’t care about many of them.

Proceed with caution

Carol’s Second Act

9:30 p.m. Thursdays on CBS

“Scrubs” meets the movie “Second Act” with a lot of stars you’ll recognize.

Skip

Sunnyside

9:30 p.m. Thursdays on NBC

This political comedy is supposed to be about immigration and citizenship, but it has nothing new to say, especially with its cast of caricatures.

Skip

Evil

10 p.m. Thursdays on CBS

The creators of “The Good Wife” thought they’d take a stab at religion, and all we got is a courtroom drama with a heavy dose of “The Exorcist.”

Skip

Bless the Harts

8:30 p.m. Sundays on Fox

Animation Domination gets another flop in this “The King of Queens” meets “The Simpsons” comedy.

Skip

Which shows have you watched?

Summer TV 2019: Watch, Try or Skip

Summer season is for being outside, not inside.

But that doesn’t mean I can’t try or catch up on some TV shows.

Here are my quick takes:

Holey Moley

I tried this clearly made for summer TV show, but it was about as dumb as I thought it would be.

It’s “Wipeout” meets putt-putt with appearances by Kenny G and Stephen Curry in the pilot.

It’s mind-numbing entertainment that at least kind of pokes fun at itself, but that’s about it.

Skip it

Younger

I’ve heard good things about this TV Land show, and it lived up to the hype.

Hilary Duff gracefully stepped into a more adult role, and Sutton Foster rocks as a 40-year-old moonlighting as a 26-year-old. I wish they’d sing more, but it would be pushing the realism, which it’s already doing.

Is it a far-fetched concept? Yes, but at least it’s funny and the characters are charismatic. I watched the first five seasons within two weeks and I’m already ready for season six to come out on Hulu.

Watch it

Dead to Me

Why the Emmys are calling this a comedy is beyond me, though from what I’ve heard it’s solely because it’s a half-hour show. What a rule.

I figured out the maybe not-so-obvious twist by episode 2, so it wasn’t quite the nailbiter I wanted it to be. It was hard to root for most of the characters, but I did root for the friendship between Christina Applegate’s Jen and Linda Cardellini’s Judy.

Try it

Nailed It

I started watching this last summer, but recently fully caught up.

This Netflix show can’t survive much longer, because it’s so obvious the contestants are set up to fail. The times are too short, the designs are too intricate and the directions are vague at best.

But watching three people epically crash and burn in 25 minutes is pretty laugh-out-funny.

Watch it (with friends and alcohol if you can)

UnREAL

I hope this parody of “The Bachelor” is more parody than real, because if it’s more real than parody, yikes!

Without spoilers, the drama, created by an ex-Bachelor producer, contains so many crazy twists and turns that every character is terrible in one way or another.

Season 4 was a Hulu exclusive, and it was so incongrous with the rest of the show I wouldn’t recommend watching it. But if you’re a Bachelor fan, I’d recommend it since it is similar to hate-watching the reality show.

Try it

What shows are you watching this summer?

Fall TV 2018 Round 2: Skip it, watch it or give it another chance

I can’t believe I’m bored with new TV.

The new crop of shows is mediocre at best.

Here’s my short take on the latest new shows:

(Note: I didn’t include reboots or remakes since those feel like their own category.)

“The Neighborhood“

8 p.m. Mondays on CBS

Verdict: Give it a chance

This comedy has the potential to become a show that has laughs and good lessons about race and relationships. If not, it’s just a show where Schmidt (Max Greenfield, playing a dad whose family moves to a black neighborhood) smiles way too much.

“Happy Together“

8:30 p.m. Mondays on CBS

Verdict: Give it a chance

While the premise is completely ridiculous (a celebrity moves in with his accountant and his wife), this comedy has some laughs, especially with the cast’s physical comedy.

“All American“

9 p.m. Wednesdays on the CW

Verdict: Skip it

This drama is “Friday Night Lights” meets “The Blind Side” meets a soap opera (the pilot’s cliffhanger ending was so obvious). Also, pretty sure the main character wouldn’t be able to afford Beats by Dre headphones, but OK…

“The Alec Baldwin Show“

10 p.m. Sundays on ABC

Verdict: Skip it

If you think “Inside the Actors Studio” is dry, stuffy and impersonal, run away very quickly from this talk show. The format is stale, there’s no audience for feedback, and Alec Baldwin acts like he’s interviewing his guests for a job interview, not a talk show.

“The Kids Are Alright“

8:30 p.m. Tuesdays on ABC

Verdict: Skip it

This 70s-set show doesn’t make Catholics look great. The semi-happy conclusion happened too fast. I have no idea what compelled someone to produce this show.

“The Rookie“

10 p.m. Tuesdays on ABC

Verdict: Watch it

Yes, this may be a procedural, but it has heart. The pilot smartly showcased a snippet of every character to develop them in an interesting way without feeling overly expository.

What shows are you enjoying?

Fall TV 2018: Skip it, watch it or give it another chance

I’d say fall TV season is like Christmas for TV enthusiasts, but these shows aren’t that great, so if it does feel like Christmas, it’s disappointing.

Many new broadcast shows have premiered this month, so here’s my short take on each:

(Note: I didn’t include reboots or remakes since those feel like their own category.)

“Rel“

9:30 p.m. Sundays on Fox

Verdict: Skip it

This show feels like a 90s sitcom, and not in a good way. Plus, its identity seems conflicted between the newly single dad main character’s friends and his children, who were unseen in the pilot.

“I Feel Bad“

9:30 p.m. Thursdays on NBC

Verdict: Give it another chance

While the workplace setting of this Amy-Poehler-produced sitcom is embarrassingly bad, the show has a funny, honest take on being a woman and wife in a time when we’re supposed to have everything at our disposal. It could develop into something funny.

“Manifest“

10 p.m. Mondays on NBC

Verdict: Watch it

What could have been a cheesy take on the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is actually a poignant look at family, relationships, grief and faith.

“FBI“

9 p.m. Tuesdays on CBS

Verdict: Skip it

Nothing is compelling about this procedural from producer Dick Wolf. While the pilot case was timely, the outcome was predictable.

“New Amsterdam“

10 p.m. Tuesdays on NBC

Verdict: Skip it

This drama, unfortunately, feels like it has a white-savior complex that’ll just make you roll your eyes through all the disjointed storylines. And if I heard Ryan Eggold’s hospital director character say “How can I help you?” one more time during the pilot, I might have thrown something at the TV.

“Single Parents“

9:30 p.m. Wednesdays on ABC

Verdict: Skip it

This poorly conceived show filled with stereotypes gives the stars (including Leighton Meester, Brad Garrett and Taran Killam) nothing to work with, except for one scene featuring a “Moana” song. Don’t waste your time.

“A Million Little Things“

10 p.m. Wednesdays on ABC

Verdict: Skip it

ABC’s answer to “This is Us” misses the mark with unlikable characters stuck in a sad story without any uplifting spirit.

“God Friended Me“

Sundays on CBS

Verdict: Give it a chance

It’s too bad Violett Beane picked this show over playing Jesse Quick on “The Flash,” because her earnestness is the only thing that carries this cheesy show that would’ve been better executed as a movie.

“The Cool Kids“

8:30 p.m. Fridays on Fox

Verdict: Skip it

Nothing is cool about this retirement-home-set show, especially with it’s anti-female and homophobic jokes.

Upfronts 2018: Trends for broadcast TV

Making changes but rebooting favorites…that about sums up “new” TV in 2018.

Here are 3 trends from last week’s upfronts.

Reboots galore

The reboots trend will never die at this rate.

Coming off the success of ABC‘s reboot of “Roseanne,” more are coming.

First, “Murphy Brown” returns on CBS, with Candice Bergen bringing her strong newswoman character back to the screen. It’ll air on Thursdays, after CBS hits “The Big Bang Theory” and “Mom.”

Then, there’s “Charmed,” which the CW is bringing back to life. It’ll air alongside “Supergirl” on Sundays, a night that the network hasn’t aired new shows on before.

Lastly, “Last Man Standing” is coming back, on Fox. It’ll be paired with another comedy tailored for an older audience, “The Cool Kids.”

Switcheroos

Speaking of changing networks, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” is going to NBC after being canceled by Fox.

“Lethal Weapon” replaced lead actor Clayne Crawford after he was accused of poor onset behavior.

And with Thursday Night Football shifting from CBS to Fox, there are many schedule shifts for that network, which, for a network that is known for comedy, only has two new comedies premiering in the fall (“Rel” and the aforementioned “The Cool Kids”)

Very few new shows

With so many networks vying for viewers’ attention, it seems networks are playing it safe by airing fewer new shows and saving some for midseason, when a series premier typically means half the number of episodes.

This fall, most broadcast networks are airing only 2-4 new shows, with the exception of CBS, which boasts six new fall shows.

Midseason, which used to have fewer premieres, now seems to have a similar number of new shows (though that could change before January).

However, the reboots start in the fall, no doubt because they’ll get the viewer’s interest more easily thanks to old and new fans watching.

Spring TV 2018: Stars return to TV to mediocre shows

If you want to make a comeback, make sure you pick a good project.

Unfortunately, for 3 TV stars this season, they didn’t pick good projects.

These three stars were on shows that are iconic and still binge-watched today. I don’t think we’ll be saying the same things about their new shows.

Jenna Fischer (“The Office“) stars on ABC‘s “Splitting Up Together,” Zach Braff (“Scrubs“) stars on ABC’s “Alex, Inc.” and Josh Radnor (“How I Met Your Mother“) stars on NBC‘s “Rise.”

It’s partly how the new shows are set up. Fischer’s character trades fourth-wall-breaking narration for text messaging shown onscreen, so she had at least has a small upgrade. But Braff’s character still narrates the show in the exact manner he did on “Scrubs,” and Radnor’s character is fighting for something sometimes only he truly believes in.

As I watched these shows, all I could think was “Are we just watching these actors as if their characters grew up 10 years?”

The new shows’ characters are all older, with young kids and significant others and couples friends. And the focus is centered more on families and school than bars and workplaces.

None of these shows allow these fine actors to shine in the way they could; they’re incredibly predictable. I called every plot point in the pilot of “Splitting Up Together,” which is just a divorce rom-com on TV. Same with Alex, Inc.; it felt like “Scrubs,” with a family for a medical staff and news podcasting instead of a hospital setting. But it had a similar comedic vibe.

And then there was “Rise,” which is just “Glee” without the comedic breaks and a touch of “Friday Night Lights” small-town family drama.

I wouldn’t be surprised if these shows are on air solely because of the actors. The only commercials that didn’t prominently mention the actor’s names for these shows were for “Rise,” which is more of an ensemble show (and also features other known actors such as Auliʻi Cravalho from “Moana” and Rosie Perez).

While I was excited to see these stars return to television, and I’m sure some people will still watch these shows because of the stars, I’m just not that interested because I’ve seen better shows from these same actors.

It’s partly the curse of being a star on a popular show, of course, but I’d suggest bingeing the old shows before watching these new ones.

4 observations from the 2018 Winter Olympics

I love the Olympics.

The athleticism, the tricks, the suspense…it’s an uplifting time for the world. We put aside the conflicts and just enjoy some healthy competition.

But there are some differences for the 2018 Winter Olympics:

Who misses Bob Costas?

Me!

Costas chose to step down from his NBC gig, and Mike Tirico took over.

Tirico was the first recipient of the Bob Costas Scholarship at Syracuse, so it’s a nice full circle.

I grew up watching Costas; I can’t help but feel like something is missing this year. I especially miss all the interviews Costas did with big-time USA athletes.

I have no doubt that Tirico will come into his own; he seems pretty confident in this ability. It’ll just take time.

Cool moments, fewer medals

As I’ve been watching, I keep thinking about how the USA doesn’t seem to be a big focus. And I wasn’t wrong.

Usually, the highest number of medals go to USA, Russia and China. This year, Russia is out, but some Russian athletes are still competing, representing the OAR.

But so far, Germany and Norway are winning more. The USA hasn’t even received 10 gold medals yet.

Not an impressive number for the USA. But we still got to see some amazing USA moments.

You could feel the adrenaline when Shaun White was competing in the halfpipe. He redeemed himself, coming out with his third gold in the event.

And Nathan Chen? What a comeback. He didn’t medal, but watching him nail 5 out of an attempted 6 quads was insanely impressive.

And for those who prefer more romance…

The Bachelor franchise strikes again.

The Bachelor Winter Games was a four-part event series where Bachelor/Bachelorette contestants from all over the world “compete” in Olympic-esque competitions.

The series even including The Bachelor National Anthem. I wish I was kidding.

It’s definitely not the finest TV ever, but it’s certainly entertaining, in an awkward and kind of sad way. (One judged “event” was a kissing showcase in front of former Bachelorettes and Arie, the current Bachelor.)

And hey, I guess you have to give people credit for being willing to fall on their face for 15 minutes of fame. And watching it can make for a good workout.

Fall TV 2017: Two CW shows premier

The CW has joined the new TV game.

While many other new network shows have appeared, the CW is now airing its new shows.

Here’s my take on them:

‘Valor‘

9 p.m. Mondays on the CW

Another military special operations show make its debut.

Other ones are better.

The balance on this show is off. The lead is a female who has to work hard to keep her higher-ranking position. While it’s nice that they’re not focused too much on the woman-in-the-military idea, sometimes they overdo it with how she’s not “qualified.”

There are also two relationship storylines that I’m already over. It’s not needed, but I’m sure it was part of the show because of the network it’s on.

Grade: B-

‘Dynasty‘

9 p.m. Wednesdays on the CW

This remake is the perfect kind of soap. It’s filled with beautiful people wearing impeccable clothes and donning perfect makeup. And all those people have dirty secrets shrouded in sexual chemistry.

It’s a bit updated from the original (the setting is different, there are gay characters), but it in no way feels stale.

This drama could definitely be your next fun guilty pleasure.

Grade: A-

What are your new favorite shows?