Recently, the American broadcast networks unveiled their new fall line-ups and gave us a first look at the new shows they’ll offer come the fall season. Even though only one of three new shows will live to see life beyond next season, The Cinema Post looks at the ten most promising new shows including ‘V’, ‘Glee’, ‘Nurse Jackie’, ‘Cougartown’, ‘Parenthood’ and more. Read our take after the break…
1. V (ABC)
Usually we are not that much into remakes of popular movies or tv franchises, simply because it’s usually a sign of creative desperation. Just look at The CW’s overwhelmingly desperate attempts to gain glory by remaking FOX’s signature teen shows from the early 90s. In the case of ABC’s “V”-remake however, we feel surprisingly optimistic. It’s easier to re-imagine a sci-fi-concept for a new decade, because that particular genre offers more opportunities than most other genres. As Ronald D. Moore’s “Battlestar Galactica” proved successfully, you can take a dated franchise and create an entirely new world out of it, while at the same time making it contemporary by adding themes that play a huge part in our society now. The first footage we have seen of “V” makes us confident that the show will do just that and if that is not enough the show features a stellar cast of actors that includes Lost’s Elizabeth Mitchell, Firefly’s Morena Baccarin, Party Of Five’s Scott Wolf and The 4400’s Joel Gretsch.
2. Glee (FOX)
High School shows are usually not gems, at least not since The WB disappeared. FOX’s high school comedy “Glee” however is exactly that - a gem. The show offers quirky and off-beat humor, teenage and adult characters to whom everyone should be able to relate to, catchy music numbers and a surprisingly optimistic attitude. Most of television these days is about murder, pain and sex, therefore it’s pleasant to have an uplifting show about realizing your dreams and aiming for fame. Just like “Ugly Betty” or the similarly beloved “Pushing Daisies”, “Glee” is a lighthearted delight which makes you smile and feel good about yourself. The show features an impressive cast of [young] talent and with Ryan Murphy’s (“Nip/Tuck”, “Popular”) unique writing style, this might be the show that lives up to what it promises: Fun.
3. Nurse Jackie (Showtime)
Theoretically this is not a fall show, since it premieres in June, but who cares? It still shows promise. From the network that gave us “Weeds”, “Californication” and “United States Of Tara” comes a new half-hour-comedy that stars critically-acclaimed actress Edie Falco of “The Sopranos”. Only on Showtime do you get to see dark and intelligent comedies with complex characters and impressive acting performances. Their newest offer doesn’t seem to be any different. We’re hopefully in for a roller-coaster ride of emotions.
4. Hung (HBO)
It’s not TV, it’s HBO. At least that’s what it used to be. Cable channel HBO had a streak of bad luck with everything new they offered since “The Sopranos” went off the air. Nothing really drew that much attention to them since then outside of “The Wire”, not even cult hit “True Blood”. But every streak of bad luck has to end eventually and we bet on our sanity that their summer offering “Hung”, a show about a desperate high school teacher who becomes a male escort, might do the trick. It’s a concept we haven’t really seen on TV before and the first trailer looked surprisingly funny and charming.
5.) Flash Forward (ABC)
Of all the new shows that will premiere come fall, “Flash Forward” probably has the most ambitious concept. While that makes us concerned about how the show can work as a weekly series, we’re still thrilled to see people think outside the box, even though the show is somewhat based on a novel, which makes it a bit less original. ABC labeled the show as an “intimate epic” and scheduled “Flash Forward” on one of their most important nights. Their faith in the show increases the level of our own. Let’s hope this is not another “The Nine” where you have a great cast and a great concept, but no series.
6.) Cougartown (ABC)
Our favorite “Friend” Courtney Cox-Arquette returns to television in a new comedy written by “Scrubs”-creator Bill Lawrence. While we’re afraid to call Cox-Arquette a cougar, “Cougartown” shows promise. First footage of the show has been amusing and we like that women over 40 might become visible on broadcast networks again. If that’s what the show is doing, it’s good for everyone.
7.) Parenthood (NBC)
Another remake in our Top 10-list? Something must be wrong here… or maybe not. What has us excited about NBC’s remake of a little 80’s movie that is called “Parenthood” is not only the amazing cast that includes Peter Krause (“Six Feet Under”), Maura Tierney (“ER”) and Mae Whitman (“Arrested Development”), but also the creative forces behind it. Ron Howard (“Arrested Development”) produces, Jason Katims (“Roswell”, “Friday Night Lights”) writes. If there is one team that can bring sensitivity back to the family series-genre and maybe add a bit of meaning to it instead of throwing love interests for every single character down our throats, it’s this one.
8.) The Deep End (ABC)
There is nothing special about ABC’s new series “The Deep End” which looks like a lawyer version of “Grey’s Anatomy”. That raises the question of whether we really need another series about pretty people in good jobs sleeping with each other, doesn’t it? And the answer is maybe. While the trailer for the show didn’t particularly impress us, it didn’t make us want to burn our eyes out, either. It actually looks quite decent, even if it fails in comparison to ABC’s last lawyer series, the quirky and off-beat “Eli Stone”, which got canceled rather quickly . Point is, the show looks solid and could very well be the one show where the writing for the characters can compensate for the fact that we have seen it all before. The concept for “Grey’s Anatomy” wasn’t exactly earth-shattering either and it still became a phenomenon thanks to the characters and good casting. Also, we refuse to believe that any show with Clancy Brown (“Carnivale”) and Tina Majorino (“Veronica Mars”) could suck.
9.) The Middle (ABC)
This fall, ABC offers not one, but four new comedies on one night. “The Middle”, a show about a middle-class family and their daily struggles, reminds us of “Malcolm In The Middle”, only told from the mother’s perspective and less crazy. While there is probably no other show that can ever compare to the brilliance that is “Malcolm“, “The Middle” looked surprisingly sympathetic, and even though the preview does not translate to “I’ll die if I don’t see this”, it still makes us curious enough to check this one out. And don’t forget to watch out for everyone’s favorite janitor (Neil Flynn from “Scrubs”) who plays the Dad on this show.
10.) Sons Of Tucson (FOX)
Tyler Labine is used by now to playing the wacky sidekick. This time, he has a starring role to which he can bring his everyman-quality. Produced by Justin Berfield who we all remember dearly as Reese from “Malcolm In The Middle” comes this new comedy about a man who inadvertently gets himself a family. While we think of the concept of the show as a bit stupid, it looked hilarious and outrageous enough to gather our interest.
