Tag: new TV 2021

Fall TV 2021: Some shows show promise

New shows are coming, and some may be worth watching.

Here are my quick takes (side note: “Killer Camp” and “The Activists” have been pulled from the air):

Legends of the Hidden Temple

8 p.m. Sundays on the CW

This game show is a remake, and boy can you tell. It feels so 90s, even the prizes (one team got a Razor scooter).

The main differences are it’s adults competing not kids, and it’s an hour instead of a half-hour.

The adults competing is fine, but an hour for a show with only a handful of challenges is pointless.

The tradition of the game feels really forced, and poor Cristela Alonzo feels like she’s gritting her teeth through her hosting duties.

They should’ve aired this show in the summer when people are more inclined to watch pointless game shows.

Skip it (unless you have nostalgia for the original)

4400

9 p.m. Tuesdays on the CW

This reboot of a show from the 2000s has an intriguing presence.

People from all ages, races and time periods end up on Belle Isle in Detroit with no idea what’s happened and unsure of what year it is.

It feels a bit like “Lost” or “X Files” with a strong overtone of government-police-community relations, but while it’s a lot to follow, it could be interesting.

The original ran for four seasons, but I hope they make this remake more of a mini-series. I don’t think the mystery needs to be dragged out for years.

Try it

Queens

10 p.m. Tuesdays on ABC

This fiery show is so fun.

The pilot sets up what could’ve been a cute movie about a girl group reuniting, but I’m excited to see it dive deeper in upcoming episodes.

Each girl group member has issues to deal with, but you still believe they can be friends and love each other even in disagreements. And the music performances are full of energy.

Watch it

Home Sweet Home

8 p.m. Fridays on NBC

I really thought this Ava DuVernay produced show would be so cheesy, forced and sappy. And while there are slow-motion shots and pingy, cheesy music, it’s a heartwarming show.

In each episode, two families exchange houses and try one another’s traditions and activities for four days before meeting up for a meal. There are so many lessons to learn from one another, but taking it down to the family level really brings home some of the important discussions.

I can’t imagine it’ll last too long, and I’m guessing they’ll choose families that are very different from each other, but hopefully it’s for learning, not drama.

Try it

Ghosts 

9 p.m. Thursdays on CBS

You may recognize some of the actors in this comedy that’s based on a UK series.

A group of ghosts is stuck living in a mansion, but when a new couple comes in, hijinks ensue.

I feel badly for the actors who play ghosts since they’ll always be in the same costume, and one person isn’t wearing pants.

It’s a bit of a soap opera plot that’s set up in the pilot, so it may have potential, but I’m not sure it’s that funny.

Skip it

Fall TV 2021: Reboots and more

For the first time in a while, I’m cautiously optimistic about fall TV’s new shows.

It’s not that I think these broadcast shows will win Emmys (let’s be real, broadcast doesn’t really make a play at awards these days), but there are some compelling storylines.

The Big Leap

9 p.m. Mondays on Fox

You know how “UnReal” was a dramatic, behind-the-scenes look of “The Bachelor”? “The Big Leap” is basically that but for “So You Think You Can Dance.”

“The Big Leap” is the show within the show that a hotshot producer, who has problems of his own, is trying to make. Everyone is supposed to get a second chance through the show, and we’ve got three storylines to prove it.

It’s probably one too many on top of the producer (Is he good or bad? It’s unclear from the pilot.) and the judges/coaches, one of whom is Billy Porter-esque and the other is some British villainess type.

Try it with caution

Ordinary Joe

10 p.m. Mondays on NBC

Like NBC’s soon-to-be-ending show, “This Is Us,” “Ordinary Joe” has multiple timelines. The difference? It’s alternate timelines based on one man’s choice at his college graduation. Each timeline has a different color palette to help distinguish them since it’s the same actors but with very different outcomes.

I assume it’s an acting challenge for the core cast to play a slightly different character across the timelines, but it’s hard to root for Joe when his character is just different enough in each timeline.

Plus, I have two major flaws to point out from the pilot: 1. You can’t have an outdoor concert during a hailstorm, and 2. not that many people come to a school reunion, especially for someone Joe’s age (30s).

Skip it

Our Kind of People

9 p.m. Tuesdays on Fox

You may recognize some people in this soapy drama (even Olivia Pope’s dad plays a role). Yaya DaCosta is owning her role, and she’s a delight to watch.

Everyone in this Martha’s Vineyard town has a secret, so it could be interesting to see how it’ll play out since we know secrets don’t stay that way. Unfortunately, most of the characters are unlikeable, so it’s hard to root for them.

What confused me is this show is clearly set in summertime, so why didn’t Fox air it during the summer months?

Try it with caution


Alter Ego

9 p.m. Wednesdays on Fox

This competition show is “The Voice” plus “The Masked Singer.” Each contestant performs as a motion capture, AI alter ego avatar, so the judges don’t see them, only their movements through the avatar.

Unfortunately for the contestants, you don’t get a recording contract (they win $100,000), and the celebrity judges are way more interested in the technology than the contestants.

Skip it


La Brea

9 p.m. Tuesdays on NBC

This show had me on the edge of my seat.

A sinkhole decimates La Brea, an area of L.A., but the people who fell in aren’t dead … at least, for now. The question of where and when they are now is to be determined. Hopefully, it’s determined quickly, since they may not survive the extinct animals that also exist in this land.

The pilot does a great job setting up the two dynamic worlds as the military and a father tries to figure out what happened and if they can reach the people who fell in.

Try it

The wonder years

8:30 p.m. Wednesdays on ABC

There is so much nostalgia in this reboot, but I’m here for it.

The pilot takes place on the day Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, but the show balances touching on history without overdoing it.

The cast equally performs to bring the charm of the original, and with Fred Savage as an executive producer, I think this reboot could be more fun (and better) than others.

Try it

Winter TV 2021: Finally, new shows!

When COVID-19 shut down pretty much everything, TV was no exception.

However, now that we’re in 2021, a new crop of shows have premiered, with more to come in February.

We’ll see how February’s new shows turn out, but currently you’ll see a lot of people you’ve seen on other broadcast TV shows the last few years.

Here’s the latest roundup (I’m not including game shows, which there seem to be a plethora of this year. I’m guessing that’s because they’re easy to film in a safe way, or because they’re a mindlessly entertaining escape):

Call me kat

9 p.m. Thursdays on Fox

This cute, playful show allows its star, Mayim Bialik, to portray a new character, who’s still a little social inept but much more loving.

There’s not a ton of substance to this comedy about a girl who opens a cat cafe after her dad dies, but it’s light.

My biggest complaint is it breaks the fourth wall a lot, and it’s very unnecessary.

Watch it (with caution)

Mr. Mayor

8 p.m. Thursdays on NBC

For all the shows that added COVID-19 into their plots, “Mr. Mayor” did it best, in my opinion. They briefly mention it in the pilot and then move past it as if it’s over (yes, I know, wishful thinking).

Still, I’d rather watch this than another awkward moment of mask-wearing on TV.

In this comedy, Ted Danson plays the newly elected L.A. mayor. It’s a bit like his “The Good Place” character has continued to live on Earth for a few years and has learned quite a bit.

It’s set up pretty well in the pilot to go a few different directions, so we’ll see how the season pans out. It is from the creators of “30 Rock,” so it can’t be too terrible.

Try it (with caution)

The great north

8:30 p.m. Sundays on Fox

There are a lot of stars in the cast of this animated comedy.

It stars Nick Offerman, who basically plays himself, or at least how he’s portrayed in real life. His family is navigating life in Alaska without his ex-wife/dead wife (watch the pilot).

It’s not as funny or stupid as other Fox animated shows, but I appreciate the voice cast.

Try it (with caution)

The Trickster

9 p.m. Wednesdays on the CW

It seems the CW is only interested in superhero shows, imported shows and reboots.

This is a Canadian import, and it’s basically “Breaking Bad” minus the cancer and with a teen instead of a teacher.

The show was advertised as a supernatural thriller, but there wasn’t much supernatural in the pilot. There were many characters tripping out, though.

Skip it

Call Your Mother

9:30 p.m. Wednesdays on ABC

This comedy was clearly written by older writers who think they know how 20-year-olds act. (They don’t…or people in their 20s are way more obnoxious than I realize.)

It’s such a boring, pedantic show that could’ve been a cheesy movie you watch on a Saturday afternoon.

Skip it

Walker

8 p.m. Thursdays on the CW

This reboot made the right decision in its leading man, Jared Padalecki. His a perfect choice to play a Texas ranger.

The drama is more family-oriented from the original from what I can tell. The pilot does a good job setting up the characters and conflicts.

Try it