Pilot Watch: "Big Shots"

The networks have announced their fall schedules, but which of the series will actually be worth watching? Throughout the summer, as I watch the pilots, I'll be posting my first impressions. A lot can change before a show makes it to air, so these aren't comprehensive reviews, just quick thoughts on how the shows look now. Today's installment: ABC's "Big Shots."

What's it about? "Men are the new women" is the mantra of this "Sex and the City" for men, which traces the disastrous personal lives of four high-powered CEOs.

Who's in it? Michael Vartan, Dylan McDermott, Christopher Titus, Joshua Malina

The good: It's a strong cast filled with three TV powerhouses (Vartan, McDermott, Titus) as well as nerdy Malina, an Aaron Sorkin favorite. A show like this can live or die by the guys' chemistry, and they play off each other decently well in the pilot.

The bad: Everything else. The most commonly uttered phrase seemed in the pilot seemed to be "we're men" — in case we could forget. It's trite and dull, with stereotypical jokes about demanding women, sexual fetishes, marriage therapy, etc. Also, much as I love Malina, he seems utterly out of place as a powerful businessman.

Will I watch? I doubt it — and, furthermore, I don't think it's worthy of the post-"Grey's Anatomy" time slot.

To watch a preview and see a gallery of photos, read more