The upfronts are here. This means we get our first official look at the new shows on tap for the Fall season. We get to judge what will make it, and what will be shot into space never to return to television viewership again. First up is NBC.
Revolution
Short and Sweet Synopsis: Mankind loses electricity. Fifteen years after the blackout, the future is bleak, dystopian, and government is lost. People have taken the law into their own hands, and survival is what you make it.
The Good and the Bad: We could just say that NBC doesn’t really do well with sci-fi adventure, and we’d be right, but we’re wondering if the network can handle something of this sweeping a scale. It’s seems like without good pacing it could get a bit lost in the weeds. Too much pap and we’ll find ourselves in Terra Nova territory. The biggest obstacle could be the fact that NBC often doesn’t let much stay on air to gain traction before losing patience and yanking it off after mere episodes if the numbers aren’t stellar. This definitely looks like something that will need to develop over several episodes to really hook viewers.
It’s not that we haven’t seen dystopian futures before, we have. But if you want us to really get into this one you have to tell us why it’s different, and giving a girl a crossbow without naming her Katnis is not enough of a reason. Should we also discuss the Book of Eli swordplay at 3:23? No, we won’t. It’s hard to give you a good vote of confidence if you’re ripping off existing movies already, NBC. Tighten that up. If done well, it could be interesting. We like Giancarlo Esposito, after all. Over think it too much, and we’ll get The Event.
Where to find it: Mondays at 10.
Go On
Short and Sweet Synopsis: Matthew Perry plays a sad-sack radio jock who embarks in group therapy. He discovers that his therapy-mates are a zany group of oddballs, much like himself. He matches wits with the head of the group and becomes a sort of therapist apprentice.
The Good and the Bad: Matthew Perry has worked for more than a decade at perfecting this particular persona. Do we like it? Eh. It’s okay, we suppose. Is it something that’s really pulled in the masses without a good ensemble to carry him further? No. His last attempt was the short-lived Mr. Sunshine, which seemed to be exactly like this but a lot less maudlin and forcibly wacky. We don’t like too much forced wackiness in a show that has no real place for it, and this seems to straddle that line. Above all else though, once we realize the show is about overcoming a loss through group therapy, where does it go from there? That’s the biggest question. Does Perry’s character become a therapist? Do they all just continue to meet indefinitely? Community’s study group, or 30 Rock‘s sketch comedy co-workers have a built in reason for staying together for future episodes. And if we can’t really see a future here, how can we be interested in the present?
Where to find it: Tuesday 9 pm.
The New Normal
Short and Sweet Synopsis: A single-mother seeks a change and finds herself as a surrogate for a gay couple. Ellen Barkin plays the woman’s grandmother and otherwise antagonist in this family-based light drama.
The Good and the Bad: The idea is a good one, however the execution seems a bit iffy, if not more than a bit unrealistic. Can we say that the quirk factor could damage the show and its overall message? It perhaps shouldn’t try and be too cutesy, and we fear this is what the show is doing here. There is an art to balancing emotion with subtle comedy, and in this first look, it seems this may be a challenge for NBC and Ryan Murphy, the show’s creator. We get that it may not want to be a straight drama like Parenthood, but making the characters too over-the-top could lose viewers, especially if the cheese factor is just too great. Case and point, NeNe Leakes. We’ll just say that she doesn’t seem to be a seamless fit here, but we’ll give her that she isn’t stretching too much outside her Real Housewives persona, if that’s a thing you want.
Where to find it: Tuesday 9.30 pm
Animal Practice
Short and Sweet Synopsis: Weeds alum, Justin Kirk, plays an inhospitable veterinarian with a monkey sidekick. He’s unconventional and finds himself at odds with animal owners and the animal hospital administrator.
The Good and the Bad: This is already being billed as House with animals. That’s not really a good thing. What else can we really say about this? Oh, it looks obviously pretty terrible? Yes, I think that’s the best thing to say about this. If I had to guess the first NBC cancellation of the season — this is at the top of the list. Nothing about this seems to work. A DOCTOR MONKEY! REALLY?
Where to find it: Wednesday 8 pm
Guys With Kids
Short and Sweet Synopsis: Various guys have kids. That is all.
The Good and the Bad: I spoke too soon about Animal Practice. THIS. Will probably be the first NBC cancellation of the season. There is nothing new here that we haven’t seen elsewhere in various movies about dads and kids, and on episodes in family-based comedies on every single television network. There’s no reason why this needs an entire series built for it. The laugh-track, the one-liners, urgh. We can’t see many people wanting to watch this every week, but this doesn’t mean NBC will totally lose faith, despite our early predictions Whitney survived. Yes, this looks like Whitney but with smallish people. But if you want a positive, this marks the return of Tempestt Bledsoe (Vanessa from The Cosby Show), to television and NBC. That’s still not enough to make this worth watching.
Where to find it: Wednesday 8.30 pm
Chicago Fire
Short and Sweet Synopsis: The trials and tribulations of a Chicago firehouse, in the same tradition of most every emergency rescue series NBC has trotted out in recent years.
The Good and the Bad: The success of this show seems to hinge on whether or not you’ve missed shows like this one. It’s created by Dick Wolf of Law & Order fame, so it has that going for it. It also attempts to give you a gritty look at the underbelly and dynamics that exist in a firehouse. Lesbian-paramedics! Ohhh! Two firemen at odds, one shirtless. Ahhhh! So, it looks like that kind of show. How is it different from other NBC offerings like Third Watch or Trauma? Well, that remains to be seen. The difference or lack thereof will probably make or break this show. We also get the notion that since NBC never fully gave Southland a chance, and its now found a home on TBS, perhaps they’re trying to start over with this particular trope and put more faith behind it.
Where to find it: Wednesday 10 pm
Teaser Snippets
That’s not all. There are a few NBC shows that haven’t made it to the Fall roster just yet. The word is some may bow later in the season, or be moved to midseason. Anything is possible really, so don’t be surprised if these things launch sooner rather than later. By that we mean, something already on tap getting the axe after a few episodes.
Do No Harm
Short and Sweet Synopsis: Jekyll & Hyde with a modern day twist, set in a hospital drama.
Reaction at First Glance: Hoo-boy, the evil, dastardly deeds that occur when your alter ego wants revenge. ABC’s Emily Thorne probably isn’t worried.
Infamous
Short and Sweet Synopsis: Socialite is found dead. Detective and best friend of the deceased is called in to investigate.
Reaction at First Glance: Who Killed Rosie Larson? Ooops, no that’s not what this is. (Okay, this is probably what this is.)
Next Caller
Short and Sweet Synopsis: A Shock Jock (Dane Cook) is forced to share the mic with a chipper NPR feminist.
Reaction at First Glance: We completely hate Dane Cook. Always.
Save Me
Short and Sweet Synopsis: After a near-death experience (choking on a hero sandwich), Beth is revived only to realize she now has a direct line to God.
Reaction at First Glance: Save us from this. Do we need a wackadoo Anne Heche? No. Does NBC listen to us? No.
Saving Hope
Short and Sweet Synopsis: Charismatic Chief of Surgery Charlie Harris ends up in a coma and starts to explore the hospital halls in “spirit” form, not sure if he’s a ghost or a figment of his own imagination.
Reaction at First Glance: Ah, there it is. The CBSing of NBC. Ghosts that talk. Also…No, you guys are not Being Human! Stop it.
1600 Penn
Short and Sweet Synopsis: The Gilchrists are just the average American family dealing with all the everyday issues with one exception: they live in a very special house. The White House! ( Excuse the exclamation point. Fingies didn’t write this.)
Reaction at First Glance: We liked “The meatball is in the oven” thing, but everything else makes this seem silly and like the forever encouraging “grown up sloppy guy” motif or the Kevin James effect.
Here’s the full schedule as it stands now including returning shows.
MONDAY
8-10 p.m. – “The Voice”
10-11 p.m. – “REVOLUTION”
TUESDAY
8-9 p.m. – “The Voice”
9-9:30 p.m. – “GO ON”
9:30-10 p.m. – “THE NEW NORMAL”
10-11 p.m. – “Parenthood”
WEDNESDAY
8-8:30 p.m. – “ANIMAL PRACTICE”
8:30-9 p.m. – “GUYS WITH KIDS”
9-10 p.m. – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”
10-11 p.m. – “CHICAGO FIRE”
THURSDAY
8-8:30 p.m. – “30 Rock”
8:30-9 p.m. – “Up All Night”
9-9:30 p.m. – “The Office”
9:30-10 p.m. – “Parks and Recreation”
10-11 p.m. – “Rock Center with Brian Williams”
FRIDAY
8-8:30 p.m. – “Whitney”
8:30-9 p.m. – “Community”
9-10 p.m. – “Grimm”
10-11 p.m. – “Dateline NBC”
SATURDAY
Encore programming
SUNDAY (Fall 2012)
7- 8:15 p.m. — “Football Night in America”
8:15-11:30 p.m. — “NBC Sunday Night Football”
SUNDAY (Post-football/Winter 2013)
7-8 p.m. – “Dateline NBC”
8-9 p.m. – “Fashion Star”
9-10 p.m. – “The Celebrity Apprentice”
10-11 p.m. – “DO NO HARM”
