November sweeps are now underway, with deaths and breakups and special guest stars and other twisty twists and turny turns to grab viewers. For some shows it's already too late: they lost the popularity contest and got the axe. The only show that I'm upset about is Selfie. It was not a good show, but it had the most potential of any of those cancelled so far. I was hoping the network would give it time to find itself, but alas.
This season has not been kind to comedies. So far the five cancelled network shows have all been comedies. For those of you who are looking for new comedies, two good ones that have so far survived are ratings smash Black-ish (I had my doubts, but it is funny) and underdog Marry Me (filling the quirky Happy Endings hole in my life).
Manhattan Love Story was the very first new fall show to get cancelled. Given the fact that the trailer was such a turn-off, I never even watched an episode. And now I never will. The show supposedly got you a look inside the minds of a couple who meet in the Big Apple. With annoying voice overs, not those cool '90s pop-ups from Blind Date. The guy's mind was an unappealing place to be. And the show was apparently an unappealing one to watch.
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.
