Thursdays are an interesting night. There's two shows about how awful the people in the legal profession are (How to Get Away With Murder and Bad Judge), a romcom (A to Z), a remake of a British police procedural (Gracepoint), and a comedy with a laugh track (The McCarthys).
How To Get Away With Murder
Premiere Date: September 25
Showtime: 10pm
Network: ABC
Description: Shondra Rhimes has already created soapy versions of doctors and politicians and now turns to lawyers. Viola Davis is a criminal law professor who tells her students how to get away with murder.
To Watch or Not to Watch: Hitflix is supremely unimpressed, while TVline thinks it's the new Scandal. I do not think I can get through this show without wearying myself out from eye-rolling. This is the downside of trying to watch a soapy version of law school after having actually gone to law school. This is about a basic criminal law class, taken by first year law students. First year law students know nothing. Honestly. And yet Viola Davis picks them to work at her firm? What? Usually firms won't touch you until the summer after your second year. Also? These lines? Outraged law student: "You got him to lie on the stand!"; Viola Davis: "I did my job." ETHICAL VIOLATIONS BATMAN. I know that's what people think lawyers do all the time (lie, cheat, be a bane on society). But that is NOT part of the job description, I swear. On the other hand, this will certainly be dramatic. And have great music.
The McCarthys
Premiere Date: October 30
Showtime: 9:30 pm
Network: CBS
Description: A family comedy that centers on a gay man and his overbearing Boston family.
To Watch or Not to Watch: Hitflix thinks the cast has some bright spots but the jokes are tired. The show has a laugh track, guys. A laugh track. Very few decent comedies these days need canned laughter to convince you something is funny. Myself, I could barely get through the trailer and have absolutely zero interest in watching the show.
Gracepoint
Premiere Date: October 2
Showtime: 9pm
Network: Fox
Description: A limited-series (only 10 episodes!), based on the BBC series Broadchurch. It's a police procedural investigating the death of a young boy. Starring the 10th Doctor (David Tennant) and Walter White's wife from Breaking Bad (Anna Gunn).
To Watch or Not to Watch:Hitflix thought it was pointless, because the two episodes they saw were identical to Broadchurch (plus, David Tennant stars in both). Executive Producer Dan Futterman stated: "My mom is right down the alley of the BBC America audience and she started watching it, and she's like, "I can't understand a word they're saying. And I think that was a common experience." That quotes fills me with very little confidence that this show is going to be more than Broadchurch with bland American accents. I haven't seen Broadchurch, but if it's basically the same show - frankly, I'm going to watch the one with the beautiful British accents and the stunning British landscape. Futterman claims that there will be divergences later on and the killer might not be the same.
Bad Judge
Premiere Date: October 2
Showtime: 9pm
Network: NBC
Description: Kate Walsh (Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice) is a judge by day, a party girl by night.
To Watch or Not to Watch: What is it with Thursday nights this fall, and making it look like the legal profession has lost its collective shit? I remember back in the golden days when Perry Mason and Law & Order made the legal profession look all cool and honorable and righteous. And then Ally McBeal showed that lawyers can have a quirky side too. And lately shows like The Good Wife and Suits focused on how firms can be little kingdoms and fiefdoms and are full of badass manipulations and maneuverings. And now How to Get Away With Murder and Bad Judge come along and give truth to every bad lawyer/judge joke ever told. Ick, ick, all kinds of awful. Hitflix hated it too (but was hoping that a retool could save it).
A to Z
Premiere Date: October 2
Showtime: 9:30 pm
Network: NBC
Description: What if (500) Days of Summer were turned into a TV show? Andrew is a romantic, Zelda is a cynic. The narrators tells us that their courtship will last eight months, three weeks, five days, and one hour. Whatever that means (they marry? they breakup?).
To Watch or Not to Watch:IGN likes the leads, but doesn't find it funny and thinks it's a generic rom-com. Hitflix also enjoyed the leads and thought it was likeable, but not funny. There's also comparisons to How I Met Your Mother - Andrew is a Ted type and Zelda is a Robin. Itend to like romcom shows, so I will give it a try, but it could go either way.
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