Fall TV Preview...EW
Sep. 14th, 2018 09:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatSo I went through EW's Preview of 150 television series, which is about a quarter of the 700-900 shows on at the moment or soon to be on. 500 of which are scripted.
My first impression?
Frakking Heck...there's a lot of television shows on the air. I don't think it is humanely possible to watch them all. The critics were making fun of that actually. And I don't think I would like what they'd like -- for one thing they are in their early thirties, and I'm fifty-one. Also I have a full-time job, and don't watch and write about television for a living.
So..ignoring them, here's what popped out at me (I'm not going through them all, get your own subscription to EW -- or pick it up at B&N.)
New Television Series and Reboots
1. Murphy Brown reboot...notable for a couple of things:
* Candace Bergen is reprising her role at the age of 72. She will be the oldest lead actress of
a broadcast network television series in history. It is the first time they've featured a
situation comedy with a 72 year old single female broadcast journalist.(Grace and Frankie is
on Netflix and neither character is a career woman or a broadcast journalist.)
* Diane English who is 71 will be the oldest show-runner in the history of television.
That's actually enough reason alone for me to check it out. Also, I loved Murphy Brown. It was one of the few situation comedies that I enjoyed. All the best sitcoms were in the 1990s and 80s. They were about something other than sex. The ones on now are about either sex or kids. Neither of which I find all that funny. I'm also really curious to see how her kid turned out. Shame they aren't bringing back the guy from Quantum Leap as her love interest. The actor who played her live-in painter died ages ago.
When does it air? Ah. 9/27 on CBS at 9:30 pm. (I swear I need a rollerdex to keep track of these frigging television shows or program them into my calendar.)
2. Manifest - 10 PM, 9/24 on NBC. (Monday) - It's about a plane that disappears for five years. All the passengers on board felt was a bit of turbulence, but when they return, five years have passed. And they have manifested odd powers such as hearing voices that implore them to do things like halt buses and free dogs. (Apparently a lot of dogs need to be freed? And buses stopped?)
3. The Little Drummer Girl - mini-series on AMC at 9PM on November 19. Based on the John Le Carre novel and brought to you by the same team that did The Night Manager, it's helmed by Park Chan-wook (Oldboy) and stars Alexander Skarsgard, Florence Pugh, and Michael Shannon. It's six hours and shown across three consecutive nights.
I read the book ages ago. And I saw the film by George Roy Hill starring Diane Keaton in 1984. The book was a bit convoluted and not one of Le Carre's best or so I was told. But it and the Spy Who Came in From the Cold, and The Russia House are the only John Le Carre novels that I've read to date.
My father has read them all. He adores Le Carre. Personally? I preferred Ludlum, more action, less meandering.
But I want to see it -- if only for Alexander Skarsgard who I adore.
4. The Connors..reboot/spinoff of Roseanne -- this is only notable because I pretty much predicted they'd do this just before Roseanne screwed up and tweeted a racist remark at 2am in the morning. (I'm a wee bit suspicious about this. For one thing, Roseanne had been tweeting racist comments for about three years, and doing things that were decidedly politically incorrect and offensive. So why they took exception to this one tweet out of all the tweets she'd previously done?
Or were surprised by it? Also Roseanne was "horrible" on that show. I mean jarringly so. I tried to watch it...and cringed whenever she spoke. The other actors looked visibly uncomfortable around her.
It was obvious. So, I can't help but wonder if this was all planned as a means of getting Roseanne off the series? It just seems a wee bit too convenient for words.
Network Exec: Well the numbers are great for Roseanne. But no one can stand Roseanne.
Studio Exec: What do want us to do? She has a contract and rights to the name. And the audience may not accept a spin-off.
Executive Producer/Show-runner: Hmmm...she has a wacky habit of making inappropriate comments and tweets. Some of which are rather horrid.
Assistant Producer (raises hand): I know...we wait until she does it again..
Network: We yank the show.
Studio: She feels horrible.
Network: then we bring it back as a spin-off
Show-runner: we kill off her character (she was sick anyhow)...and voila..The Connors is born.
I have to say when I checked it out...I thought, hmmm...I like everyone but Roseanne. I'd watch this if it were The Connors. Can't say I'm surprised that's what happened.
5. New Amsterdam - 9/25 at 10 PM - NBC. Starring Ryan Eggold of Black List. It's based on the memoir of Dr. Eric Manheimer - and is a medical drama/procedural taking place in the nation's oldest public hospital - Belleview (so in NYC?).
6. Mr. In Between on F/X at 11 PM, 9/25 -- it's a story about a a hitman and his family life. He kills people for a living, while bickering with his ex-wife, eating ice cream with his 8 year old daughter, and dating a woman that he meets while walking his dog. (Note to self - stay away from dog walkers.) It was created by and stars Australian filmmaker Scott Ryan. Think dramedy with lots of dead bodies.
7. All American 10/10 on CW at 9PM (Basically the CW has decided to get more into contemporary adult drama?) Think Straight Outta Compton meets the OC by way of Friday Night Lights.
It's about an African American teen who is talked by Taye Diggs, a coach at Beverly Hills High to join the football team there, because it's his best bet at getting ahead in the world. So a fish out of water tale -- the kid comes from South Central and joins a Beverly Hills football team. It's actually based on the real life story of former NFL player Spencer Payslinger.
8. A Million Little Things 9/26, 10 PM on ABC -- is basically Thirtysomething meets This is Us. An overtly sentimental drama about the meaning of friendship. It's about a group of friends who rethink their lives after one of them successfully commits suicide. Grace Park is in it along with a few others. The article in EW is less about the show and more about Park's controversial exit from Hawaii 5-0 last year along with her co-star Daniel Dae Kim, because 5-0 was paying them far less than their hunky white male co-stars. (Like that's a shocker. Hollywood = racist? Nah. Say it ain't so? Why do you think I don't watch Hawaii 5-0? Well outside of the fact that it is predictable, and the writing sucks. I didn't watch the previous iteration in reruns either.)
7. Cligue - 11/7 on POP at 10 PM. (First of all, I didn't know the channel POP existed. Second, I'm not sure I even get it let alone where to find it. Seriously how many channel outlets are there??) The description does not fit the title. It's about a female best-friendship - as childhood friends start university in Edinburgh, the friends are pulled into the Scottish city's elite business world - and further apart. As a shocking death unravels the dark underbelly of their new world, the two friends are forced to confront modern issues immersed in the current social climate.
I find the local interesting. Scotland?
8. I Feel Bad -- 10/4 - NBC - 9:30 PM, a situation comedy about a neurotic female videogame designer, who feels guilty for not being a good enough wife, mother, daughter, videogame designer. (Note -- you might feel better if you weren't designing video games for a living...but whatever.)
It's described..."It really blows up the whole Instagram-perfect family we assume everyone else exists in...Sometimes on tv there's conflict, but it's nice and neat with little bows, a lesson and a hug at the end; that's not this." (In other words it's not a comedic version of This is Us. Good to know.)
9. Legacies - 10/25 - 9 PM, The CW - basically The Originals and the Vampire Diaries Spin-off, aka The Vampire Dairies/The Originals - The Next Generation. Which, I'm sorry, just makes me feel old. The people in Vamp Diaries were young enough to be my kids. These are ...ahem. In short, I don't think I'm the designated demographic for this series. Has the same show-runner that the other two had -- Julie Plec. (Kevin Williamson is off to the streaming channels.)
What is it about? Alaric's kids and Klaus/Hayley's kid go to a special school - The Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted, where Alaric Saltzman is headmaster, and they fight a monster on a weekly basis. It's more of a monster of the week set-up then a who will sleep with who tween supernatural soap opera set-up, or so the show-runner says. But I saw the trailer...and my eyes beg to differ.
10. Camping -- 10/14, 10 PM, HBO...notable for the cast...which is Jennifer Garner, David Tennant, Juliette Lewis, Ione Sky...and the show-runners are LEna Dunham and Jenni Konner. (Note - never rent any summer homes to Lena Dunhan, she's an ass. My brother did that and forever regretted it.) Apparently Zadie Smith recommended that they adapt the British comedy series Camping. So they have. Its about a group of friends who go on a camping trip. Much comedic chaos ensues. Personally, I'd watch David Tennant read from the phone book...but Lena Dunham and Jennifer Garner and Juliette Lewis grate on my ever living nerve...so we shall see.
11. Charmed Reboot -- 10/14, 9 PM, CW -- apparently they couldn't get Buffy, so went for Charmed. People are excited about this. People are upset about this. Apparently Charmed had a major fandom. And many critics liked it. Who knew? (I watched it, off and on. It was mildly entertaining. Then sort of silly and soapy, but still watchable. And..then jumped the shark and wandered off to the loony bin and I gave up.) Personally, this is show I think should be rebooted and fixed. It had great potential before cast in-fighting caused it to go off the rails.
They've decided to recast with interracial or diversified casting. One of the witches is logical and doesn't want to be a witch nor does she believe in witch craft (yet can move things with her mind, go figure). They are University Students, who also don't really know they are sisters (not sure how that works considering they have the same mother).
12. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina - reboot of Sabrina - The Teenage Witch, from the folks that brought us Riverdale. So..think more Twin Peaks and less Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Netflix - 10/26. (Okay, it's on Netflix...so definitely more Twin Peaks.) Notable for starring Kierman Shipka (Don Draper's daughter in Mad Men), Miranda Otto and Lucy Davis.
It's pretty dark. On her sixteenth birthday, Sabrina has to decide if she wants to sign her soul away to the devil in order to become a full-blown witch. The writer's decided to do a slow-burn horror tale like The Exorcist or Rosemary's Baby, also somewhat in line with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She has to stand up to the devil.
The only downside of playing Sabrina? Kierman is allergic to the cat, Salem. So she and Salem did not get along and kept their distance. LOL!
13. The Haunting of Hill House Netflix, 10/12 -- they are doing a mini-series based on Shirley Jackson's novel, except it's about a family that lived in the house as children and how they house and what happened there remains in them. Henry Thomas and Carla Gugino play the parents in flashbacks. It stars Elizabeth Reaser. And is about a group of estranged adult siblings dealing with ghosts that have been haunting them since they lived in the house as kids.
Interesting new take on the classic psychological thriller.
14. The Romanoffs - Amazon 10/12 - Anthology series about various members of the family, Romanoff, with an all star cast...John Slattery, Christina Hendrickson, Diane Lane, Aaron Eckhart, Amanda Peet, Isabelle Huppert, Paul Reiser, Kerry Bishe, and Andrew Ranells.
15.Maniac -- Netflix, Sept 21, stars Emma Stone, Jonah Hill, Sally Field, and Justin Theroux about subjects of an unusual drug trail that targets their sub-conscious minds and toys with their memories, fears and imaginations.
Returning Shows
1. 9-1-1 Emergency 9/22, 8PM, Fox-- this Tim Minear series, starring Peter Krause, Angela Bassett, and Oliver Stark, has added Jennifer Love Hewitt as Stark (Bucky) sister, and new 9-1-1 Operator. It's actually one of the better Ryan Murphy series that I've seen to date -- mainly because Minear sort of grounds it and keeps it real. As do the two leads. (I know it is on FOX, but it is worth watching.)
2.The Resident - 8pm, 9/24, Fox - it adds Malcolm-Jamal Warner to the cast as a series regular.
3.This is Us - 9/25, 9PM, NBC -- and...it decides to get even more tear-jerky this year by delving into bi-polar depression and Vietnam.
4. The Gifted -- 9/25, 8 PM, FOX -- it introduces a few new and interesting villains. We now have the Hellfire Club...ith Reeva Payge playing a new supervillian -- powerful mutant who scrambles minds using a hypersonic scream and has plans for Polaris and her kid.
5.Riverdale 10/10, 8pm, CW -- will give it credit, we're going to have Archie's trial in the first episode and the result. As opposed to dragging it out over the whole first half of the season.
It certainly moves quickly. Archie was framed for murder by Hiram Lodge last season. The main mystery arc during the season will be series of cult-style murders eerily similar to a murder that happened in the past. The writers are styling it after the first season of True Detective, with Betty and Jughead as the detectives on the case. They even have a flashback episode where the teens play their parents in the past. And they've come up with their own version of D&D for the series -- Griffins & Gargoyles (why they can't just call it D&D, I don't know -- copyright issues??). Also they do a riff off of the Stepford Wives with Betty's mother and sister and the cult style group her sister has joined.
6. The Good Place -- 8PM, 9/27 - NBC...Description of this season..."Every episode there is some sort of world-changing thing...it's the most emotional season...we had a couple of scenes where we went...'is this a comedy?'"
Hmmm.
Also, says Danson: " And look for an answer or two in the process...it's so right that it doesn't even surprise you -- you just hadn't thought of it. Yes, of course is the feeling you get when you hear the discoveries of S3."
Okay.
Meanwhile..Chidi seeks out a neuroscientist to determine if his brain is broken, spotlight seeker/jealous sibling Tahani opts to exit high society to pursue enlightenment, Dim bro Jason questions his life by doubling down on his dance group...the all-knowing Janet questions how much she and Michael should help everyone. And Michael starts to run into problems with his meddling..with a gruff doorman who holds the door to Earth, and his Bad Place Boss, who is none too pleased with this turn in events.
Okay..hmmm.
7. Grey's Anatomy - 9/27, 8PM, ABC (season 15...yes, it has been on for 15 seasons..I know. You really don't have to say it.)
Love enters the picture for Meredith and Maggie. (The show-runners apparently think it is unrealistic for a 49-50 something surgeon to be single. Seriously? And that of course they are having sex all the time..because really raising kids, doing surgeries, and commuting isn't all that time consuming. And having the love of your life die...just say two years ago, is long enough to move on and find someone new. In other words? The writers are bored with the medical dramatics and want to write sex soapy sex scenes.) Also they haven't figured out what to do with Teddy, Owen and Ameila. Personally, if I were Ameilia and Teddy, I'd dump Owen and move in together. (And no, I'm not gay.)
8. Station 19 10/4 - 9PM - it picks up where last season left off, with everyone in the burning building making life or death decisions. Ben wonders if he should have stuck it out at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. I bet the actor doesn't.
9. Supernatural -- (Season 14...hee, Grey's has it beat by one.) 10/11, 8PM, CW.
I may watch this season...because I'm admittedly intrigued by the premise. At the end of last season, the arch-angel Michael convinced Dean to fulfill his destiny and allow the arch-angel Michael to possess him in order to defeat and kill Lucifer. Which he does. Then Michael being an ornery sort takes off with Dean's body and Dean sort of let's him -- because hey, Michael has a way to fix things. So the season is about Castial and Sam trying to get Dean back from Michael, while Michael prances about in suits and rounds up fellow angels (there's only 10 still in existence) to get rid of those pesky humans. Sam sprouts a beard to grieve Dean (or the actor decided the heck with it, I want to stop shaving for a few weeks).
10. Big Bang Theory 8PM, Season 12 (hee, Supernatural and Grey's have it beat!), CBS, 9/24 then changes to 9/27 at 8PM -- Final Season, because Jim Parsons finally got tired of playing Sheldon and being confused with Sheldon in real life. (I can't say I blame him. He's not like the character at all in reality. And Sheldon is written as a rather one-note stationary character. Also, the show really should end while it's still relevant. TV shows tend to go on too long...)
Once again, the television series is under the false impression that everyone gets married etc. Here, Raj doesn't. The writer's write it as sad and pathetic. It's my problem with Big Bang. It's rather stereotypical in places and reinforces bias and stereotypes. There are married people who are miserable and single people who are happy. I know. I've met them.
11. Crazy Ex-Girl Friend 10/12, 9PM, CW -- Final Season. Rebecca gets out of jail and reunites with Greg who is played by a new actor. The new casting is meant to reflect how Rebecca now views/perceives the character. The first episode features a riff on Chicago's Cell Block Number.
12. Midnight Texas -- is rebooted and returns after a year and a half hiatus, with a much soapier, scarier, and sexier turn. More True Blood. It's supernatural noir now. There will be a twist on a twist on a twist...and they will have dueling love triangles, demonic cancer, and the witches/vampires worst nightmare: hipsters. (Actually that's my worst nightmare.) I don't know.
It can't be worse than the first few episodes. I'm tempted to give it another try.
9PM NBC, Oct 26.
My first impression?
Frakking Heck...there's a lot of television shows on the air. I don't think it is humanely possible to watch them all. The critics were making fun of that actually. And I don't think I would like what they'd like -- for one thing they are in their early thirties, and I'm fifty-one. Also I have a full-time job, and don't watch and write about television for a living.
So..ignoring them, here's what popped out at me (I'm not going through them all, get your own subscription to EW -- or pick it up at B&N.)
New Television Series and Reboots
1. Murphy Brown reboot...notable for a couple of things:
* Candace Bergen is reprising her role at the age of 72. She will be the oldest lead actress of
a broadcast network television series in history. It is the first time they've featured a
situation comedy with a 72 year old single female broadcast journalist.(Grace and Frankie is
on Netflix and neither character is a career woman or a broadcast journalist.)
* Diane English who is 71 will be the oldest show-runner in the history of television.
That's actually enough reason alone for me to check it out. Also, I loved Murphy Brown. It was one of the few situation comedies that I enjoyed. All the best sitcoms were in the 1990s and 80s. They were about something other than sex. The ones on now are about either sex or kids. Neither of which I find all that funny. I'm also really curious to see how her kid turned out. Shame they aren't bringing back the guy from Quantum Leap as her love interest. The actor who played her live-in painter died ages ago.
When does it air? Ah. 9/27 on CBS at 9:30 pm. (I swear I need a rollerdex to keep track of these frigging television shows or program them into my calendar.)
2. Manifest - 10 PM, 9/24 on NBC. (Monday) - It's about a plane that disappears for five years. All the passengers on board felt was a bit of turbulence, but when they return, five years have passed. And they have manifested odd powers such as hearing voices that implore them to do things like halt buses and free dogs. (Apparently a lot of dogs need to be freed? And buses stopped?)
3. The Little Drummer Girl - mini-series on AMC at 9PM on November 19. Based on the John Le Carre novel and brought to you by the same team that did The Night Manager, it's helmed by Park Chan-wook (Oldboy) and stars Alexander Skarsgard, Florence Pugh, and Michael Shannon. It's six hours and shown across three consecutive nights.
I read the book ages ago. And I saw the film by George Roy Hill starring Diane Keaton in 1984. The book was a bit convoluted and not one of Le Carre's best or so I was told. But it and the Spy Who Came in From the Cold, and The Russia House are the only John Le Carre novels that I've read to date.
My father has read them all. He adores Le Carre. Personally? I preferred Ludlum, more action, less meandering.
But I want to see it -- if only for Alexander Skarsgard who I adore.
4. The Connors..reboot/spinoff of Roseanne -- this is only notable because I pretty much predicted they'd do this just before Roseanne screwed up and tweeted a racist remark at 2am in the morning. (I'm a wee bit suspicious about this. For one thing, Roseanne had been tweeting racist comments for about three years, and doing things that were decidedly politically incorrect and offensive. So why they took exception to this one tweet out of all the tweets she'd previously done?
Or were surprised by it? Also Roseanne was "horrible" on that show. I mean jarringly so. I tried to watch it...and cringed whenever she spoke. The other actors looked visibly uncomfortable around her.
It was obvious. So, I can't help but wonder if this was all planned as a means of getting Roseanne off the series? It just seems a wee bit too convenient for words.
Network Exec: Well the numbers are great for Roseanne. But no one can stand Roseanne.
Studio Exec: What do want us to do? She has a contract and rights to the name. And the audience may not accept a spin-off.
Executive Producer/Show-runner: Hmmm...she has a wacky habit of making inappropriate comments and tweets. Some of which are rather horrid.
Assistant Producer (raises hand): I know...we wait until she does it again..
Network: We yank the show.
Studio: She feels horrible.
Network: then we bring it back as a spin-off
Show-runner: we kill off her character (she was sick anyhow)...and voila..The Connors is born.
I have to say when I checked it out...I thought, hmmm...I like everyone but Roseanne. I'd watch this if it were The Connors. Can't say I'm surprised that's what happened.
5. New Amsterdam - 9/25 at 10 PM - NBC. Starring Ryan Eggold of Black List. It's based on the memoir of Dr. Eric Manheimer - and is a medical drama/procedural taking place in the nation's oldest public hospital - Belleview (so in NYC?).
6. Mr. In Between on F/X at 11 PM, 9/25 -- it's a story about a a hitman and his family life. He kills people for a living, while bickering with his ex-wife, eating ice cream with his 8 year old daughter, and dating a woman that he meets while walking his dog. (Note to self - stay away from dog walkers.) It was created by and stars Australian filmmaker Scott Ryan. Think dramedy with lots of dead bodies.
7. All American 10/10 on CW at 9PM (Basically the CW has decided to get more into contemporary adult drama?) Think Straight Outta Compton meets the OC by way of Friday Night Lights.
It's about an African American teen who is talked by Taye Diggs, a coach at Beverly Hills High to join the football team there, because it's his best bet at getting ahead in the world. So a fish out of water tale -- the kid comes from South Central and joins a Beverly Hills football team. It's actually based on the real life story of former NFL player Spencer Payslinger.
8. A Million Little Things 9/26, 10 PM on ABC -- is basically Thirtysomething meets This is Us. An overtly sentimental drama about the meaning of friendship. It's about a group of friends who rethink their lives after one of them successfully commits suicide. Grace Park is in it along with a few others. The article in EW is less about the show and more about Park's controversial exit from Hawaii 5-0 last year along with her co-star Daniel Dae Kim, because 5-0 was paying them far less than their hunky white male co-stars. (Like that's a shocker. Hollywood = racist? Nah. Say it ain't so? Why do you think I don't watch Hawaii 5-0? Well outside of the fact that it is predictable, and the writing sucks. I didn't watch the previous iteration in reruns either.)
7. Cligue - 11/7 on POP at 10 PM. (First of all, I didn't know the channel POP existed. Second, I'm not sure I even get it let alone where to find it. Seriously how many channel outlets are there??) The description does not fit the title. It's about a female best-friendship - as childhood friends start university in Edinburgh, the friends are pulled into the Scottish city's elite business world - and further apart. As a shocking death unravels the dark underbelly of their new world, the two friends are forced to confront modern issues immersed in the current social climate.
I find the local interesting. Scotland?
8. I Feel Bad -- 10/4 - NBC - 9:30 PM, a situation comedy about a neurotic female videogame designer, who feels guilty for not being a good enough wife, mother, daughter, videogame designer. (Note -- you might feel better if you weren't designing video games for a living...but whatever.)
It's described..."It really blows up the whole Instagram-perfect family we assume everyone else exists in...Sometimes on tv there's conflict, but it's nice and neat with little bows, a lesson and a hug at the end; that's not this." (In other words it's not a comedic version of This is Us. Good to know.)
9. Legacies - 10/25 - 9 PM, The CW - basically The Originals and the Vampire Diaries Spin-off, aka The Vampire Dairies/The Originals - The Next Generation. Which, I'm sorry, just makes me feel old. The people in Vamp Diaries were young enough to be my kids. These are ...ahem. In short, I don't think I'm the designated demographic for this series. Has the same show-runner that the other two had -- Julie Plec. (Kevin Williamson is off to the streaming channels.)
What is it about? Alaric's kids and Klaus/Hayley's kid go to a special school - The Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted, where Alaric Saltzman is headmaster, and they fight a monster on a weekly basis. It's more of a monster of the week set-up then a who will sleep with who tween supernatural soap opera set-up, or so the show-runner says. But I saw the trailer...and my eyes beg to differ.
10. Camping -- 10/14, 10 PM, HBO...notable for the cast...which is Jennifer Garner, David Tennant, Juliette Lewis, Ione Sky...and the show-runners are LEna Dunham and Jenni Konner. (Note - never rent any summer homes to Lena Dunhan, she's an ass. My brother did that and forever regretted it.) Apparently Zadie Smith recommended that they adapt the British comedy series Camping. So they have. Its about a group of friends who go on a camping trip. Much comedic chaos ensues. Personally, I'd watch David Tennant read from the phone book...but Lena Dunham and Jennifer Garner and Juliette Lewis grate on my ever living nerve...so we shall see.
11. Charmed Reboot -- 10/14, 9 PM, CW -- apparently they couldn't get Buffy, so went for Charmed. People are excited about this. People are upset about this. Apparently Charmed had a major fandom. And many critics liked it. Who knew? (I watched it, off and on. It was mildly entertaining. Then sort of silly and soapy, but still watchable. And..then jumped the shark and wandered off to the loony bin and I gave up.) Personally, this is show I think should be rebooted and fixed. It had great potential before cast in-fighting caused it to go off the rails.
They've decided to recast with interracial or diversified casting. One of the witches is logical and doesn't want to be a witch nor does she believe in witch craft (yet can move things with her mind, go figure). They are University Students, who also don't really know they are sisters (not sure how that works considering they have the same mother).
12. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina - reboot of Sabrina - The Teenage Witch, from the folks that brought us Riverdale. So..think more Twin Peaks and less Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Netflix - 10/26. (Okay, it's on Netflix...so definitely more Twin Peaks.) Notable for starring Kierman Shipka (Don Draper's daughter in Mad Men), Miranda Otto and Lucy Davis.
It's pretty dark. On her sixteenth birthday, Sabrina has to decide if she wants to sign her soul away to the devil in order to become a full-blown witch. The writer's decided to do a slow-burn horror tale like The Exorcist or Rosemary's Baby, also somewhat in line with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She has to stand up to the devil.
The only downside of playing Sabrina? Kierman is allergic to the cat, Salem. So she and Salem did not get along and kept their distance. LOL!
13. The Haunting of Hill House Netflix, 10/12 -- they are doing a mini-series based on Shirley Jackson's novel, except it's about a family that lived in the house as children and how they house and what happened there remains in them. Henry Thomas and Carla Gugino play the parents in flashbacks. It stars Elizabeth Reaser. And is about a group of estranged adult siblings dealing with ghosts that have been haunting them since they lived in the house as kids.
Interesting new take on the classic psychological thriller.
14. The Romanoffs - Amazon 10/12 - Anthology series about various members of the family, Romanoff, with an all star cast...John Slattery, Christina Hendrickson, Diane Lane, Aaron Eckhart, Amanda Peet, Isabelle Huppert, Paul Reiser, Kerry Bishe, and Andrew Ranells.
15.Maniac -- Netflix, Sept 21, stars Emma Stone, Jonah Hill, Sally Field, and Justin Theroux about subjects of an unusual drug trail that targets their sub-conscious minds and toys with their memories, fears and imaginations.
Returning Shows
1. 9-1-1 Emergency 9/22, 8PM, Fox-- this Tim Minear series, starring Peter Krause, Angela Bassett, and Oliver Stark, has added Jennifer Love Hewitt as Stark (Bucky) sister, and new 9-1-1 Operator. It's actually one of the better Ryan Murphy series that I've seen to date -- mainly because Minear sort of grounds it and keeps it real. As do the two leads. (I know it is on FOX, but it is worth watching.)
2.The Resident - 8pm, 9/24, Fox - it adds Malcolm-Jamal Warner to the cast as a series regular.
3.This is Us - 9/25, 9PM, NBC -- and...it decides to get even more tear-jerky this year by delving into bi-polar depression and Vietnam.
4. The Gifted -- 9/25, 8 PM, FOX -- it introduces a few new and interesting villains. We now have the Hellfire Club...ith Reeva Payge playing a new supervillian -- powerful mutant who scrambles minds using a hypersonic scream and has plans for Polaris and her kid.
5.Riverdale 10/10, 8pm, CW -- will give it credit, we're going to have Archie's trial in the first episode and the result. As opposed to dragging it out over the whole first half of the season.
It certainly moves quickly. Archie was framed for murder by Hiram Lodge last season. The main mystery arc during the season will be series of cult-style murders eerily similar to a murder that happened in the past. The writers are styling it after the first season of True Detective, with Betty and Jughead as the detectives on the case. They even have a flashback episode where the teens play their parents in the past. And they've come up with their own version of D&D for the series -- Griffins & Gargoyles (why they can't just call it D&D, I don't know -- copyright issues??). Also they do a riff off of the Stepford Wives with Betty's mother and sister and the cult style group her sister has joined.
6. The Good Place -- 8PM, 9/27 - NBC...Description of this season..."Every episode there is some sort of world-changing thing...it's the most emotional season...we had a couple of scenes where we went...'is this a comedy?'"
Hmmm.
Also, says Danson: " And look for an answer or two in the process...it's so right that it doesn't even surprise you -- you just hadn't thought of it. Yes, of course is the feeling you get when you hear the discoveries of S3."
Okay.
Meanwhile..Chidi seeks out a neuroscientist to determine if his brain is broken, spotlight seeker/jealous sibling Tahani opts to exit high society to pursue enlightenment, Dim bro Jason questions his life by doubling down on his dance group...the all-knowing Janet questions how much she and Michael should help everyone. And Michael starts to run into problems with his meddling..with a gruff doorman who holds the door to Earth, and his Bad Place Boss, who is none too pleased with this turn in events.
Okay..hmmm.
7. Grey's Anatomy - 9/27, 8PM, ABC (season 15...yes, it has been on for 15 seasons..I know. You really don't have to say it.)
Love enters the picture for Meredith and Maggie. (The show-runners apparently think it is unrealistic for a 49-50 something surgeon to be single. Seriously? And that of course they are having sex all the time..because really raising kids, doing surgeries, and commuting isn't all that time consuming. And having the love of your life die...just say two years ago, is long enough to move on and find someone new. In other words? The writers are bored with the medical dramatics and want to write sex soapy sex scenes.) Also they haven't figured out what to do with Teddy, Owen and Ameila. Personally, if I were Ameilia and Teddy, I'd dump Owen and move in together. (And no, I'm not gay.)
8. Station 19 10/4 - 9PM - it picks up where last season left off, with everyone in the burning building making life or death decisions. Ben wonders if he should have stuck it out at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. I bet the actor doesn't.
9. Supernatural -- (Season 14...hee, Grey's has it beat by one.) 10/11, 8PM, CW.
I may watch this season...because I'm admittedly intrigued by the premise. At the end of last season, the arch-angel Michael convinced Dean to fulfill his destiny and allow the arch-angel Michael to possess him in order to defeat and kill Lucifer. Which he does. Then Michael being an ornery sort takes off with Dean's body and Dean sort of let's him -- because hey, Michael has a way to fix things. So the season is about Castial and Sam trying to get Dean back from Michael, while Michael prances about in suits and rounds up fellow angels (there's only 10 still in existence) to get rid of those pesky humans. Sam sprouts a beard to grieve Dean (or the actor decided the heck with it, I want to stop shaving for a few weeks).
10. Big Bang Theory 8PM, Season 12 (hee, Supernatural and Grey's have it beat!), CBS, 9/24 then changes to 9/27 at 8PM -- Final Season, because Jim Parsons finally got tired of playing Sheldon and being confused with Sheldon in real life. (I can't say I blame him. He's not like the character at all in reality. And Sheldon is written as a rather one-note stationary character. Also, the show really should end while it's still relevant. TV shows tend to go on too long...)
Once again, the television series is under the false impression that everyone gets married etc. Here, Raj doesn't. The writer's write it as sad and pathetic. It's my problem with Big Bang. It's rather stereotypical in places and reinforces bias and stereotypes. There are married people who are miserable and single people who are happy. I know. I've met them.
11. Crazy Ex-Girl Friend 10/12, 9PM, CW -- Final Season. Rebecca gets out of jail and reunites with Greg who is played by a new actor. The new casting is meant to reflect how Rebecca now views/perceives the character. The first episode features a riff on Chicago's Cell Block Number.
12. Midnight Texas -- is rebooted and returns after a year and a half hiatus, with a much soapier, scarier, and sexier turn. More True Blood. It's supernatural noir now. There will be a twist on a twist on a twist...and they will have dueling love triangles, demonic cancer, and the witches/vampires worst nightmare: hipsters. (Actually that's my worst nightmare.) I don't know.
It can't be worse than the first few episodes. I'm tempted to give it another try.
9PM NBC, Oct 26.
no subject
Date: 2018-09-17 02:50 am (UTC)I mean there were some shockingly brilliant episodes in that second season, and far more than most situation comedy serials ever get away with. (I mean there is a reason I'm not crazy about situational comedies...they have a tendency to repeat the same jokes ad naseum or run out of material. But so far...The Good Place has been surprising me. It actually got better.)