It's a huge week in the world of television as the broadcast networks are announcing their schedules for the upcoming television season. While you wait to see if our favorite shows stick to their regular time slots, the real excitement is coming in watching the trailers for shows that could end up being a part of your TV viewing routine come September. All week long, in conjunction with announcing their schedules, the networks have been uploading previews of their new shows. Below, I'll be providing some commentary on these trailers and giving a verdict of "WATCH IT," "DVR IT," or "SKIP IT." Let's take a look at the shows vying to be your newest obsession this fall:
NBC Blindspot (Mondays at 10PM)
"Blindspot" has been hyped as NBC's best pilot of the year, which then makes sense why they would put it behind "The Voice," the network's highest rated show. That spot launched big hits like "Revolution" (well, at least that first season) and "The Blacklist" (at least for the first season and a half, until the show moved to anchor NBC's Thursday nights). It makes sense then why "Blindspot" would be put here if NBC has faith in it, but some of the similarities to "The Blacklist" also help the matter: there is a central mysterious figure who holds a bunch of clues to solving mysteries, each episode seemingly focusing on a new one. Granted, that is a bit of a stretch, but "Blindspot" looks like it will have a different case every week with the overarching story of finding out why and how this woman got to be covered in these tattoos that hold all of these secrets. I think the buzz behind this one, in addition to the post-"Voice" slot, at least warrants checking out the first episode. There's not too much star power in front of the camera, but executive producer Greg Berlanti is a reliable force in the world of TV. WATCH IT. Heartbreaker (Tuesdays at 9PM)
The tagline for this NBC medical drama starring Melissa George details her character as "an outspoken world-renowned surgeon" who, in addition to her high-stress job, "revels in a racy personal life that's a full-time job in itself." Luckily for this trailer, there isn't too much of that eyeroll-worthy "personal life" crap here. Sure, she's making out with Dave Annable while also (maybe?) flirting with another co-worker, but the main focus here is the job, which takes a little bit of the bite out of those "Grey's Anatomy" comparisons. That's not to say that the show doesn't possibly go down that road, but the trailer is focused on the medical side instead. That said, the show just doesn't look entirely...interesting. George looks like she'll be good, but isn't she always? Annable was a bright spot on the short-lived "Red Band Society" last year on Fox, but hopefully his new role isn't just a do-over of that. Again, as above with "Blindspot," "Heartbreaker" is getting a slot behind "The Voice," albeit the lower-rated Tuesday installment. In the past, NBC has attempted to launch comedies in this slot, so putting "Heartbreaker" here either means they have no comedies worth putting in the slot, or they have faith in "Heartbreaker." It's at least worth a shot, so I say DVR IT. Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris (Tuesdays at 10PM)
Okay, so this isn't really a preview at all of Neil's show, but that's because "Best Time Ever" is a live variety show. NBC is making a huge push into live entertainment, and it makes sense that they'd frontier that movement with one of the most versatile performers of the moment, Neil Patrick Harris, at the helm. We know he can dance, act, and sing, and we know he can be dramatic and comedic. That said, we don't really know what the show is going to look like. There will probably be big musical numbers, funny sketches, and pre-taped bits. At the very least, we can hope it's better than the latest season of "Saturday Night Live." For the singular reason that this is a big experiment that could either be really great or really bad, I say WATCH IT, at least for the first two or three episodes, before making a season-long decision. Heroes Reborn (Thursdays at 8PM)
Back in the day, I loved me some "Heroes." The first season is brilliant. Who didn't love "Save the Cheerleader, Save the World"? Of course, after that first season, things got kind of wonky and the show's popularity sank pretty quickly. Still, the idea of a "Heroes" reboot is kind of enticing. Bringing back Jack Coleman as HRG (if you watched the original, you know who that is) is a good bridge to the original series, and Zachary Levi is a welcome face to the show. Still, we don't really know a lot about this reboot as indicated by the super brief preview above. We don't know if "Heroes Reborn" is going to require the knowledge of the original series (and if you haven't seen it, it's on Netflix), so I'll say WATCH IT if you watched "Heroes," but cautiously await details about the reboot if you're unfamiliar with the original show (but get ready to love the first season). The Player (Thursdays at 10PM)
After NBC was able to pull of the transition of "The Blacklist" from Mondays at 10 to Thursdays at 9, it makes sense that they're taking this season to build up that show's surroundings. The "Heroes" reboot comes with an audience from the pre-existing series and its action tendencies mix well with "The Blacklist." Leading out of NBC's biggest scripted series would need to be a show that keeps up the high-octane action of those other two shows. Well, "The Player" certainly fits the bill and the trailer does a great job of assuring that. There's enough action in this two and a half minute preview to make one imagine this series could easily be retitled "Fast and Furious: The TV Series." However, we get some plot here: security mastermind is pulled into a high-stakes world of betting on crime on the grounds of getting revenge for the murder of his wife. It's oh so ridiculous, but it looks oh so fun, kind of like the "Fast and Furious" movies, and to a certain extent, "The Blacklist." NBC is smart to play up the action here as it will likely attract a largely male audience that needs direct catering if they're not interested in this show's biggest competition, ABC's "How to Get Away with a Murder." If you're going to need to pick between those two, then you're going to to have to go with the ABC legal soap because you won't want to miss those crazy twists live. As for "The Player," DVR IT unless "HTGAWM" isn't your thing and you're into shows that are less about story and more a visual treat. People are Talking (Fridays at 8:30PM)
The trailer for "People Are Talking" makes you wonder if NBC execs accidentally ordered the show, needed to slot it somewhere, and picked Friday nights to let the show wander off into the sunset. Launching a new comedy show on a Friday night is not only a risky move, but when the show looks as mediocre as "People Are Talking," it makes sense why they wouldn't waste their time putting it on another night during the week. Obviously, being paired up with the new all-live season of "Undateable" required another half-hour on the schedule, but I'm thinking NBC didn't want to put one of their strong comedy pilots on a Friday night, so instead they picked a weak one. That explains how "People Are Talking" got here. Yes, Mark-Paul Gosselaar is a bit of a sitcom star, but he's not exactly a big draw. Neither is the set-up for the show. The only upswing is that it's got a diverse cast, but the same old sitcom tropes are prevalent here: a bickering couple, misplaced prejudice, the "hot babysitter," and so on. The only problem is it doesn't look like a fresh take on any of that. Still, as goes with my predictions for all of these shows, I could be wrong but...I'm pretty sure I'm right on this one. SKIP IT.
As far as midseason shows go, NBC did not provide trailers for those new series, so we'll move forward to the next network. Fox Minority Report (Mondays at 9PM)
Fox's pilot season was lauded for the number of sci-fi/horror shows that were considered, and the series picked up reflect that handily. Of those pilots, "Minority Report" comes in with the most buzz as it is based on the popular Steven Spielberg film starring Tom Cruise. I've never seen the movie, but the trailer does look like it makes for an enticing series. Stylistically, this looks really cool - the futuristic setting looks vibrant, although it seems to take itself very seriously. It doesn't look like a "fun" show, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. It looks like the network will gamble on the sci-fi genre, as well as the relationship between the two main characters here, portrayed by Stark Sands and Meagan Good (who really deserves to be on a hit show). The storyline seems intriguing with more than enough material for a season's worth of storylines, and it seems like Fox is betting big on this show. WATCH IT, it has potential to be the biggest breakout show of the season amongst all networks. Grandfathered (Tuesdays at 8PM)
Boasting an ensemble with more than a few recognizable faces, "Grandfathered" has potential to be a successful show for Fox. The premise is a bit tired, sure, but it looks like the strength of the show will come from the ability of the ensemble to play off of each other and shine. Luckily, the cast looks pretty promising with a legitimately charming John Stamos leading the charge. Josh Peck, Paget Brewster, Christina Millian, Kelly Jenrette, and Ravi Patel complete the rest of the ensemble, and from the looks of the trailer, they're doing a good job of setting up these characters playing off of one another. While one can hope the restaurant scenes aren't too removed from the "family" scenes, the trailer gives off a bit of a "Raising Hope" vibe, which should be taken as a compliment. I think Stamos can attract a certain audience to the show, but it seems like the ensemble will make people stick around. WATCH IT and hope that I'm right about that call. The Grinder (Tuesdays at 8:30PM)
Much like "Grandfathered" before it, "The Grinder" boasts a great ensemble led by a TV veteran who looks made for the role. The set-up is pretty clever, almost as if were a male version of "Legally Blonde" where Elle decides to become a lawyer not because of an ex-boyfriend, but because of her family's career paths. The TV show within a show sets things up nicely, and Lowe is just the right person to pull off the role of the naive brother who thinks his skills as an actor will aid him in the real world. It's totally unbelievable, but Lowe is the right person to sell it. Fred Savage as his brother is the perfect antithesis to all of that and he also looks very funny here. William Devane, Natalie Morales, and Mary Elizabeth Ellis are all fine actors that will add to this cast. It's pretty surprising when a network builds a comedy block of two new shows back-to-back. It's even more surprising when both of those shows have a legitimate shot at being successful. It might just happen with "Grandfathered" and "The Grinder." WATCH IT? I think yes. Scream Queens (Tuesdays at 9PM)
Arguably the most anticipated Fox show this fall, the network has not made a full trailer available for this Ryan Murphy-produced horror comedy. This short thirty-second teaser will suffice for now. With minimal footage to judge, it's hard to get a sense of how good the show will be, but I'll try and give you a hint of where this could go based off of three facts. One, "Scream Queens" is an envelope-pushing horror anthology show, and the first season is based around a college campus that is the site of a series of murders. Second, producer Ryan Murphy's shows are often very divisive, but there's no denying that early seasons of his other shows like "Glee" and "American Horror Story" stood out for being unique and unrivaled in terms of buzz. Finally, here's a comprehensive listing of the cast of "Scream Queens": Emma Roberts, Jamie Lee Curtis, Lea Michele, Abigail Breslin, Keke Palmer, Ariana Grande, Nasim Pedrad, Nick Jonas, Oliver Hudson, Niecy Nash, Diego Boneta, and Skyler Samuels. Yeah, you're definitely gonna want to WATCH IT. UPDATED: A new, full length-trailer has been released today that gives a better sense of the plot and tone. Basically everything I stated above remains true, and the trailer hints at a unique balance of humor and horror. If it's evocative of the cult classic "Scream" franchise, which also rode that line, this should be quite good. At the very least, it's going to be good campy fun that we've come to expect from Ryan Murphy. Enjoy the new trailer! Rosewood (Wednesdays at 8PM)
It makes absolute sense why Fox would pick up "Rosewood" and slot it here. For one, it serves as a nice lead-in for "Empire" as both shows have a very diverse cast. Second, "Rosewood" is a light and fun show by the looks of the preview that'll compliment the twisty, outrageous world of "Empire" right after it. It's like a fun appetizer before teh entree. Unfortunately, I might just skip right to the main course. It's not that "Rosewood" looks terrible, it just doesn't look great. It looks like a permissible show that will probably have decent ratings as it leads into the biggest show on broadcast TV at the moment. The whole quirky outsider teaming up with the detective has been done again and again, so the show isn't highly original. Morris Chestnut looks good, but I'm not drawn in enough to say I want to watch every week. This could turn out to be a fun little show, but I'm gonna SKIP IT for now, with the chance to come back later if it turns out to be more fun-filled than corny. Bordertown (Midseason)
The less I say about this show, the better. If you enjoy shows like "Family Guy" and "Bob's Burgers," you'll probably want to WATCH IT. If you're like me though and don't watch these shows, this probably won't be the one to turn you onto them, so you can SKIP IT. The Frankenstein Code (Midseason)
As the title insinuates, this is essentially a modern twist on the Frankenstein fable and with that built in awareness, the show could attract an audience. Just as easily though, it could flop. Why's that? Based on the trailer, it just looks okay and okay isn't really going to cut it. It's hard to really understand what's going to drive the show going forward since a lot of the action happens in the first episode, and the trailer doesn't really hint at that either. What is slightly encouraging is that Michael Cuesta and Howard Gordon, two of the men that launched "Homeland," are at the helm again on this project. But with this trailer, I don't immediately get the feeling that this should be something I watch, and for that, I'm likely going to SKIP IT. Lucifer (Midseason)
I imagine that half of the past that watch the trailer for "Lucifer" will have a reaction of, "That looks like it's going to be a great show!" The other half will likely finish the preview by proclaiming, "This looks like complete garbage." Where do I stand? I'm a little torn. On the one hand, I think this could be something special. Tom Ellis looks suave, slimy, and (forgive the pun) devilishly charming in his lead role as Lucifer. His chemistry with the lead detective (played by Lauren German) looks fun in an odd couple kind of way. The set-up is certainly unique and the idea of the devil running around ruining everyone's lives on Earth is funny in a messed up fashion. On the other hand, this could also be a disaster. The idea works to a certain extent, and I was with the trailer until around 1:20 when the angel(?) figure appeared. The other-worldly elements of the show will be something that needs to be tamed. Additionally, I can't figure out if the show is about Lucifer and the detective teaming up to solve crimes or if it's about his journey on Earth with the detective around for fun. It's ambitious, but I think it can be done. In a way, this reminds me of a show from many years ago on The CW called "Reaper." If "Lucifer" can pull off this story in the way "Reaper" did, it'll be worth it. But let's wait to see if the show is going to get there or not. In the meantime, DVR IT. ABC The Muppets (Tuesdays at 8PM)
Is this the funniest comedy preview of the week? No, probably not. But is it the one that makes me smile the most? Indeed, it might be. And why is that? It's for the same reason that ABC went ahead and launched the show and it's all right in the title: the Muppets. These characters are beloved, and they've always been a little self-aware, so it kind of makes sense that they'd launch a television show that uses a lot of the conventional TV comedy ideas while referencing to them. And what makes it funnier is that these are characters we already know and love (or at least like). We know Miss Piggy is a big diva, and that's why you just start laughing as soon as she appears on screen. That's just one example, but it works. What the trailer doesn't really dive into is how they'll blend in the live actors with the Muppets, but I guess that's not something we need to know right away since it's these puppets we're going to want to watch for anyway. I think this was a very smart move for ABC - this is the closest I think we've seen to a pure family comedy on broadcast television in some time, yet there are definitely jokes aimed at the adults. In that respect, it mirrors a lot of modern animated films and that formula should work for a TV show. Airing at 8 means it's still early enough for families to watch together before the kids go to bed, and with the built-in awareness of these characters, that'll be enough to keep the audience's attention. I just hope that the show actually is as good as the preview seems to suggest, and if it is, there's no reason this shouldn't be a success. WATCH IT. Quantico (Tuesdays at 10PM)
"Quantico" is slotted to air right after "Marvel's Agents of SHIELD" and you can pretty much see why in the trailer, with the espionage theme running through both series. What makes "Quantico" interesting, though, is the shades of "Grey's Anatomy" running through it. You get the impression that these young agents are kind of the original interns from season one of "Grey's," getting to know each other, personally and professionally, while at work together. And interestingly enough, "Quantico" also seems to get some inspiration from another ABC show, "How to Get Away with Murder," with flash-forwards to the day of a devastating event. In this case, it's a terrorist attack, and the series sets itself up as the ensemble begins to learn about each other, giving audience's clues to piece together the mystery set up in the first episode. I'd be lying if I said this didn't look a little bit intriguing, so I'll say WATCH IT and hope that it lives up to what turned out to be a pretty promising trailer. Dr. Ken (Fridays at 8:30PM)
Ken Jeong is certainly a hit or miss comedian. You love him or you don't. I tolerate him, and here, he seems to have turned down the vulgarity (which makes sense for an ABC family comedy), but the focus around him with his family and co-workers as supporting characters is too much Ken for this viewer. There's nothing extraordinary about the plot, so again, the success of the show will fall on its characters, and unfortunately, only one of them gets defined in this trailer. So really the matter is this: if you like Ken Jeong, WATCH IT and if you don't like him, SKIP IT. I'm in the latter category, although I do wish all of the success in the world to two members of the ensemble: Suzy Nakamura (playing Ken's wife) and Albert Tsai (the best part of the criminally underrated ABC sitcom "Trophy Wife," and playing Ken's son here). Oil (Sundays at 9PM)
To begin, "Oil" is not a good title. It's just...not. Second, this cast has plenty of recognizable faces: Don Johnson ("Miami Vice," or for most recent credits, "Django Unchained"), Chace Crawford ("Gossip Girl"), Rebecca Rittenhouse ("Red Band Society"), Amber Valletta ("Revenge"), and Scott Michael Foster ("Greek"). Unfortunately, this show about the oil business just isn't really striking the right chord with me. To begin, the tone seems wildly uneven. Even the music selection ranges from overly dramatic to downright goofy. We know the central couple is looking to make it in the oil world and that world is about to expand. There are characters with complicated histories and foils. Yet, while I see shades of a good show, it's marred by straight up unrealistic moments like the collapse of the oil tower and the laughable bit with the spark landing in a pool of oil and igniting it. I mean come on. Unless this has a miraculous turnaround from a lame first trailer, SKIP IT. Of Kings and Prophets (Sundays at 10PM)
Oh, boy. You can so desperately see ABC marketing this as their version of "Game of Thrones," and that's the problem - that show already exists and when this show tries to mirror it, it fails miserably. This trailer is nearly laughable at points because of how ridiculous it is. Shall we start with the sets that pale in comparison to those on "Thrones" and thus look like a total knockoff? Or should we skip right to the scene where a man kills a lion with a bag of stones? It's like if "Game of Thrones" had been edited for a broadcast network, and then they stripped away everything interesting about the dialogue, reduced the budget by millions, and got a bunch of less talented actors in there. Maybe I'd be singing a different tune if "Thrones" didn't exist, but it does, and that does this show no favors whatsoever. SKIP IT. The Catch (Midseason)
Bearing the Shondaland label already makes this one a WATCH IT for me. Like I literally don't even need to watch the trailer to tell you that I'll be watching this show. However, that's not exactly fair criteria to judge a television show, so let's talk about the trailer. From the original tagline I read about the show, I didn't expect what I saw, but I really enjoyed it. Shondaland is, of course, known to produce smart, sophisticated, occasionally cold and oh-so-messy leading ladies, and Mirelle Enos' character seems to fit that bill pretty well. She's got a great career (another Shondaland necessity) and a life with an ensemble of characters (again, Shondaland staple) that I hope we'll get to explore going forward. The twist mid-trailer is a bit unexpected, but I have faith that because of the show's executive producer, we're going to get answers little by little and explore this mystery together. I'm not sure how the show will be structured with the wife getting revenge, but I have faith that because of this show's origins in Shondaland, it'll be just fine. This is scheduled to take over the Thursdays at 10 slot once the second season of "How to Get Away with Murder" concludes, and it looks to be a worthy successor to slide into the TGIT lineup with "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal." So again, I say WATCH IT. The Family (Midseason)
Could this be my favorite trailer of the week? I think so. The script comes from writer and executive producer Jenna Bans, whose previous work includes Shonda Rhimes shows "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal." Although "The Family" does not bear the Shondaland label like "The Catch," I think it might be the one that is more deserving of the attention. The setup seems simple enough (long-lost son returns home and creates tension within the family), but it is the effectiveness of the script, as seen in just a few minutes in this trailer, that sets up a tense ride. And that last-minute twist at the end of the trailer? Sign. Me. Up. There's a great cast here with Joan Allen leading the way and supported by underrated young actors like Allison Pill and Zach Gilford, veterans Rupert Graves and Andrew McCarthy, and what looks like a possible career-making turn by Liam James. This is set to replace "Of Kings and Prophets" on Sundays at 10 at midseason, and one can only hope that maybe this show's time comes a little bit sooner. This trailer makes a case that this could be the most promising new series of the season. WATCH IT. The Real O'Neals (Midseason)
The set-up for the show (a gay son stuck in a devoutly religious Irish-Catholic family) was done last season on CBS's "The McCarthys". Luckily, it looks like it's going to be done ten times better here. Why is that? The humor is sharper, the acting is less ridiculous and more witty, and the story feels a bit more real this time. The turning point of the trailer, in which each character details their conflict, shows that the main issue focused on until that point (that the middle son is having trouble hiding his homosexuality) isn't even really the main issue. It's just another issue for the family to overcome, and they're going to do it together. With Martha Plimpton at the forefront, there should be no worries about the cast's ability to rise to the occasion. In particular, it looks like we're going to see a breakout performance from Noah Galvin. The jokes land very well in this trailer, and I can see it fitting it quite comfortably among ABC's other comedies about misfit families. Particularly, the plan is to pair "The Real O'Neals" with "Fresh Off the Boat" on Tuesdays, which seems like a good fit. WATCH IT.
Uncle Buck (Midseason)
It would make sense that ABC would try and pair "Uncle Buck" with "Black-ish" at some point, but with limited comedy holes in its schedule, that may be hard to pull off. Still, you can see how the two would compliment each other beyond their all-African-American casts. Although "Uncle Buck" is a remake, it still works in the modern world. I don't know if it's something I would be particularly interested in watching, but it did make me laugh a few times. Although the pilot episode feels entirely self-contained, you can see the set up for having Uncle Buck around in the future. It's possible that this could be a pretty good show, so maybe you might want to DVR IT and see if it is worthy.
Wicked City (Midseason)
It's weird, the trailer for this series (and for all of these series, by the way) are based on footage from just the pilot episode. So why does it feel like the trailed for "Wicked City" encapsulates an entire season's worth of footage? Regardless, I'm interested in what I see here. To begin, Ed Westwick seems pretty much perfect for the role of the killer. Although he's not necessarily creepy, he never comes across as morally clean in any role he plays. Even as ladykiller Chuck Bass on "Gossip Girl," there was something so dark about him even in his vulnerable moments. That makes him a good fit for this show. However, I'm trying to see how the drama with his character will continue to play out over the season, especially since the first episode shows two potential victims who I'm to assume will be characters throughout the rest of the season. I make that assumption based on not seeing their murders in this episode, and because they're played by Erica Christensen (totally different from her days on "Parenthood") and Taissa Farmiga (underrated for her first season performance in "American Horror Story"). It's an interesting premise that looks like it might solve itself in the first episode, so for now, I'll DVR IT until I have a better idea of what the season is going to look like.
CBS Supergirl (Mondays at 8PM)
Arguably one of the most anticipated pilots of the season, this trailer does not disappoint one bit. Admittedly, the tone and look of this show doesn't fit the mold of other superhero shows on the air, nor does it look like CBS would ever air. That said, it does look like a hit. There's a lot of concern with this show going up against "Gotham" in the same timeslot, but the two shows look extremely different. "Gotham" is a crime procedural of sorts with a superhero twist, whereas "Supergirl" looks like a coming-of-age story in which the main character just happens to be a cousin of Superman. In fact, up until the whole crime-fighting/fighting/general superhumanness comes along, this show looks like your typical young adult comedy. That's a unique tone to hit on a superhero show, but I think it's one that'll be successful. It'll attract a young audience and a female audience that doesn't necessarily delve into other superhero shows on television. It may have a hard time getting the same audience that watches "Gotham," "Arrow," or "The Flash," but I still wouldn't count against that audience supporting another superhero show, especially if it's just flat-out good. And that looks likely here. There's some witty writing, self-awareness about superhero costumes and feminism in modern society, and it looks like we've got some great performances here, particularly from Supergirl herself, Melissa Benoist, and Calista Flockhart, in what promises to be a scene-stealing role. The build of the music at the end of the trailer matches the swell of anticipation that this trailer surely brings to not only those who were anticipating this project before, but others who are being introduced to "Supergirl" for the first time through this trailer. WATCH IT. Limitless (Tuesdays at 10PM)
In comparison to the other CBS trailers, this one is pretty short, getting right to the point of the show but only providing a little tease of what is to come. That's okay in my book, since a lot of these other trailers seem to be showing a condensed version of the pilot episode. Just a little taste works, especially when it's a project like "Limitless," based on a hit film starring producer/recurring guest Bradley Cooper (yes, Bradley Cooper is recurring on a network television show, I am shocked as you are). Essentially, there is a pill that a person can take that gives them access to all of the world's knowledge and our main character here is someone looking to utilize that ability. With the FBI on his side, you can see the set-up for a weekly procedural type of show with other elements of mystery. There's a lot of information at once here and it's okay to not get the gist of it. It seems like the trailer almost doesn't even want to give away all of the hints of the show. That's interesting, and that's worth it in my book. But maybe while we wait for a little more information about what kind of show this is going to be, let's DVR IT. Code Black (Wednesdays at 10PM)
"Code Black" seems to be an extremely straightforward medical show that does not veer into the soap territory of "Grey's Anatomy" and other "Grey's" wannabes of the past decade. Yes, there is some exploration into characters' personal lives, but this show seems to have most of the drama originating from the stories of the patients. In that sense, the show is almost more like "ER," where there are characters that you get to know and love, but the primary focus of the show is on the cases each week. "Code Black," or the person making this trailer, knows that this is the show's strongest card to play. You get some quick glances at stories that tug at the heartstrings and the climax of the trailer is the emergency delivery of a child in an ambulance, a moment that really highlights that this show isn't going to concern itself with the personal lives of its characters, but rather highlight their successes and failures in the emergency room. And if that's the case, they're gonna need to do it well to maintain success. DVR IT and see if that turns out to be a good thing. Life in Pieces (Thursdays at 8:30PM)
If you can remove yourself from the "Modern Family" comparisons that seem pretty obvious here and look at the trailer, there are hints of a great show here. Yes, the generational divide and the different stories every week is stuff we've all seen on "Modern" and other shows of that type. But at the end of the day, that doesn't matter; what we, the audience, care about is if the characters are likable and we want to watch them every week, and if the stories keep us laughing. So based on the trailer alone, we don't get too much development with every character but there are a few genuine laughs. It is to be expected that you wouldn't know what every character is like with such a small taste from this trailer. Heck, it might take multiple episodes to understand these characters. But there are funny moments in this trailer, capped off by (I think) the funniest part, with the family rushing their alive father inside a coffin to a Jiffy Lube across the street to get him out. It's weird, it's funny, it's family. With Dianne Wiest and James Brolin leading this ensemble as the parents, you've got veterans holding down the ship while established, yet underrated actors like Betsy Brandt and Dan Bakkedahl and hot TV breakouts like Colin Hanks and Zoe Lister-Jones fill out the ensemble. I'm always willing to give a comedy a few episodes to find its footing, and the promise in this one gives me enough to say DVR IT, and binge if the following episodes turn out to be the start of something great. Angel from Hell (Thursdays at 9:30PM)
Your feelings on "Angel from Hell" will rest solely on how you feel about Jane Lynch: there are those that truly love her and those that hate her. I really like Jane Lynch. She made Sue Sylvester on "Glee" an iconic character in a fashion that I'm not sure any other actress could've. Beyond that, she's been a great supporting comedic actress for years. In "Angel from Hell," it appears Lynch has found a vehicle that fully forms itself around her. Unfortunately, the resulting pilot episode isn't as strong as one might've hoped for. The plot is interesting, but kind of a thin premise for a show. In that case, you have to rely on the strength of the actors, or in the case of this trailer, the strength of Jane Lynch. Unfortunately, it's a lot to ask one person to carry an entire show on their back. You get the gist of this new character Lynch is playing within the first two minutes of the trailer. Still, Lynch is one talented actress, and this role could be a great fit for her. It's just too soon to tell. If you're patient to see if Lynch is worth it here (and I think I might be), then you're gonna wanna DVR IT. If you couldn't make it through the trailer because Lynch became overbearing, then SKIP IT.
CBS did not make trailers for their midseason shows available. The CW Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Mondays at 8PM)
The CW is starting to brand itself for being a home for genre television; it houses a number of superhero, supernatural, and sci-fi shows. The only night of programming that isn't dominated by this trend is Mondays with The CW's breakout hit "Jane the Virgin" (which I plan on bingeing this summer) and new show "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend." The trailer is long and kind of gives away the whole first episode, but it's an interesting concept for an hour-long musical comedy about a main character who is seriously deranged. Rachel Bloom will have to really sell this role without being too much. Additionally, to keep audiences interested, the music had better be good and the story better amount to more than the story of a girl who chases after a childhood dream of dating the perfect boy. DVR IT in case it turns out to be really special, but also prepare to delete it if it's plain bad. It could really go either way. Containment (Midseason)
Probably the CW show I am most excited for because it's a concept that I really enjoy. The show seems a bit timely as it looks like it'll touch on topics that have been major talking points in the past year including rioting/protesting, police brutality, and government intervention. To give it the twist of having this occur because of a lockdown due to a deadly unknown virus brings that unknown element to the show. I don't want to call it a supernatural or sci-fi show because we don't know anything about the disease, and I'm okay with that as long as we build a compelling story and a strong cast of characters, which the trailer hints at. I also wouldn't bet against executive producer Julie Plec, who is The CW's version of Shonda Rhimes. This veers away from the vampire-focused shows she's created in the past, so this will be an exciting new challenge. If you're gonna give a CW show a shot this year, make it "Containment." WATCH IT. Legends of Tomorrow (Midseason)
Truthfully, I don't have much to say about this show because I have no prior knowledge coming from "Arrow" and "The Flash," both of which this show is a spinoff from. Still, it looks like it fits right in line with those shows, so if you're a fan of them, definitely WATCH IT. For the rest of us, it looks like it could be a fun time, if not a little bit cheesy in a way that most superhero shows are, so unless the show requires extensive background knowledge of those other DC-based shows, DVR IT.
Which trailers are your favorite and which shows are being added to your schedule right away? Or what trailers could you barely get through? What shows will be lucky to see five episodes hit the air? Post your thoughts in the comments section below! I'll be back later this week to analyze the schedules from all five networks so you can begin planning your fall television schedule. Until then...
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