Fall TV 2014 Previews: Sunday Nights

The new fall TV season is almost upon us. So what's worth watching? What should be skipped?  

I've read the blogs. I've watched the trailers. I've tapped into the national zeitgeist. All so that you don't have to (you're welcome). 

Each day this week I will look ahead at what new shows are coming out this season. Tonight we tackle Fall 2014's new Sunday night shows. 

Sunday nights this fall are fairly light when it comes to new shows. There's just two: Madam Secretary and Mulaney (three shows are going to air in later seasons on Sunday - Galavant [winter], CSI: Cyber [winter] and American Crime [spring]). 

Madame Secretary

 Premiere Date: September 21

Showtime: 8pm 
 

Network: CBS

Description: Tea Leoni is a tough, no-nonsense law professor who becomes Secretary of State after the first one dies in a mysterious plane crash. Because what we really need is another political conspiracy show. Tim Daly (the handsome one from Private Practice) plays Tea Leoni's husband. Zeljko Ivanek (True Blood's Magister, Revolution, Damages) is the Machiavellian Chief of Staff. The promo hilariously calls Tea Leoni "unconventional," "unpredictable," and "unstoppable." This is hilarious because this is the same language TV ads use when describing the lead on Generic Cop Show #23. So this is basically West Wing if it was a show about a hard-boiled maverick cop, with a little of Scandal's conspiracy thrown in.

     

To Watch or Not to Watch: A cautious "to watch." Early reviews are positive, but also a bit wary. HitFlix says: "nearly everything in the set-up to "Madame Secretary" is silly, from the excruciating posturing from President Keith Carradine --"You don't think outside the box. You don't even know where the box is." -- to the Vast Government Conspiracy that may or may not be afoot. [Hint -- It is. It always is.]" But it also says: "There's a potentially good show at the heart of "Madame Secretary," or there's potentially good bone structure if nothing else." TVLine enjoyed Leoni's performance and praises the cast in general but thinks the family subplot was uninteresting in the pilot and the government cover-up could elicit an eyeroll. I think I will join HitFlix in giving Madam Secretary a few episodes to try to find itself before I commit. 

 

Mulaney

 Premiere Date: October 5

Showtime: 9:30pm
 

Network: Fox

Description: Looks like it's being plugged as an updated Seinfeld. John Mulaney plays...Mulaney, a stand-up comic breaking into showbiz with the support of Martin Short (!?!?) and his no doubt wacky neighbors (flatmates?). It also features Mulaney's stand-up routine.

To Watch or Not to Watch: Reviewers aren't impressed. SNL alum John Mulaney has a lot of goodwill and is generally regarded as a funny guy, but the word is that the show is not delivering. A pilot was made for NBC last year but the network passed. Fox is reviving it. Hitflix says it's "a bland, unfunny sitcom that hasn't harnessed John Mulaney's voice, hasn't figured out how to utilize his limited acting range (though he's entirely amiable) and sure as heck hasn't figured out how to make use of a high-potential case." Sitcoms always have potential to hit their stride later on (see: Parks and Rec). But I don't have too much faith in this one.