While some new shows are falling by the wayside (RIP, Lone Star), others are cementing their status on the TV schedule. Fox has just given a full-season order to its freshman comedy Raising Hope, making it the first new Fall series to get picked up. Have you been tuning in?
Photo courtesy of FOX
My regular TV show check-ins have begun, and after giving early evaluations to dramas The Event and Hellcats, I'm now going for a sitcom: ABC's Better With You.
Better With You was one show for the Fall season that I saw a lot of potential in — despite its multicamera, laugh-track formula. I'd hoped that the combo of good writing plus charming stars JoAnna Garcia and Jennifer Finnegan would make the format a nonissue, but unfortunately, the first couple of episodes have suffered from sitcom conventions: lame plots and cheesy jokes. Also, the relatable relationship issues that were in the pilot became patronizing by the second episode. That said, it's still early in the season, so the series has time to prove itself as cute and funny. What do you think of the new comedy? Has it found a home in your Wednesday night lineup?
Photo copyright 2010 ABC, Inc.
The balloon that is Fall TV is already deflating; first Lone Star was canceled, then late last week, My Generation got the axe too. Though the rest of the freshman series are still standing (as of right now), ratings have not been stellar for any new show.
Could it be that marketing wasn't robust enough for the new programs, or are the shows themselves not that strong? For instance, you guys didn't think that NBC's Outsourced was earning its keep, and some of the more hyped shows like The Event and Hawaii Five-0 don't seem to be knocking anyone's socks off quite yet. Contrast that with last Fall when it seemed like people couldn't get enough of Glee and Modern Family. What do you think — is it just a weak season?
Fall TV is off and running, so I've begun my check-ins for the new series. Last week I peeked in at Hellcats, and today I'm looking at NBC drama The Event.
As one of my five must-see shows, I wondered if The Event would be as compelling as Lost or 24, and so far it's doing a pretty good job. I was happy to see that big questions are already answered in the second episode (the "others" are actually aliens), and I really enjoy the format that takes us back in time to see exactly where each character was in the days leading up to the event.
Not every character's plight is equally thrilling, and I'm not sure how I feel about the aliens-among-us theme as the central conceit, but my interest is still here for now. Now it's your turn: If you're watching The Event, let me know how you're finding it, and if you're hooked yet — or why you won't continue watching.
Photo courtesy of NBC
Another one bites the dust: it's just been announced that ABC has dropped the ax on faux-documentary drama My Generation (this follows the news earlier this week of Lone Star's cancellation). While the series wasn't in my list of top five newbies, I honestly expected to see it stick around longer.
Photo copyright 2010 ABC, Inc.
Now that all the new Fall TV shows have premiered (with one already canceled), I thought I'd check in on some of the freshman series to find out if you've been watching. Today, I'm looking at CW drama Hellcats.
The college-set cheerleading soap has had a few strong episodes since its pilot. Ashley Tisdale has proved she can be more than just a mean girl, while Aly Michalka is pretty charismatic in the lead. The relationships are starting to form (one of my favorite storylines has been the flirtation of Dan and Savannah) and as I noted in my first impression, I love watching the choreographed cheerleading routines (not to mention the recent street dance battle!). I'm going to continue to watch and see if I get hooked, but I'm more interested in your take; have you been watching this new series? What do you think?
Photo courtesy of The CW
Well, I guess someone had to be the first to go: after garnering low ratings for its first two episodes, new series Lone Star has been canceled by Fox. It was on death watch since its premiere (I tried to rally and gave you reasons why you should watch), and now it's become the official first casualty of the Fall TV season.
The show was one I was looking forward to most this Fall, but it couldn't bring in high enough numbers for its network. I'm sad to see such a promising series cut short after such a brief amount of time, but hopefully this won't be the last we'll see of its crushworthy star James Wolk.
Photo courtesy of Fox
Tonight, the Emmy-nominated CBS series The Good Wife premieres the first episode of its sophomore season. Interestingly, rather than focusing on their awards love for their first season, the promo for tonight focuses on the budding relationship between Alicia and Will . . . and the budding love triangle, since things aren't exactly over with politician husband Peter.
It seems like a smart move to play up the romance rather than the procedural angle, especially for viewers who were interested in watching the show after the Emmys aired and looking for another reason to tune in. Speaking of that, I'd like to hear from current fans of The Good Wife why you watch and like the show, and why new viewers should make it part of their weekly viewing digest!
Congratulations! You survived last week's onslaught of TV, as nearly every beloved show debuted a new season. Exhausted? Me, too (as is my DVR). But now that you've had the chance to take a little breather, let's take a look back at all of the premieres. I want to know which lived up to your expectations and which fell short.
For me, the Modern Family premiere gets high marks with its cute car trip, as well as Community, which benefited from guest star Betty White. As for the most dramatic episode, 90210 really raised the stakes between the death and earthquake that went down in its opener. I still can't believe that the writers killed off Javier so quickly!
Which series premiere satisfied you most? Did you love watching Matt Damon flirt with Liz Lemon on 30 Rock? Still singing "Billionaire" from the Glee premiere? Sound off on your favorite in the comments!
From the very moment that I saw the pilot for Fox's Lone Star, it quickly catapulted to my top five list for the new Fall season. Sex, intrigue, familiar faces, a hot lead — what's not to love? Yet when it came time for the series to bow last week, viewers didn't exactly share in my excitement. The show debuted to abysmal ratings, and early rumblings of cancellation have already begun. Fox is reportedly giving it one more week to succeed, which means tonight may be its last chance to make good.
Consider this my plea to you: you should really watch Lone Star. I'd hate to see it get pulled when the show has so much potential, so here are four reasons why I think you should tune in:
Two more reasons when you read more
