Gone Too Soon?: What New Fall 2014 TV Shows Have Already Been Cancelled

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.

Fall TV 2014 Previews: Friday Nights

Friday nights, as per usual, aren't jam-packed with new shows. It is becoming less of a place where TV shows go to die (although it is still somewhat of a graveyard). Two new shows (and another airing of reality TV Utopia) are on fall Fridays: another laugh track comedy and a supernatural drama.

Cristela

 Premiere Date: October 10

Showtime: 8:30 pm

Network: ABC

Description: Cristela is a Mexican-American law student who must juggle an unpaid internship and her family.

     

To Watch or Not to Watch: Meh. This seems like basically another version of The McCarthys. Laugh track, zany family problems, etc., etc. Hitflix found Cristela the actress/producer incredibly engaging at the press conference, but the comedy of the pilot too broad and overdone.

Fall TV 2014 Previews: Thursday Nights

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.

Fall TV 2014 Previews: Wednesday Nights

Wednesday nights are looking pretty bleak. There's an attempt at the next Modern Family, a Glee with sick kids, a police procedural investigating mystery that cops can be moms, and and another police procedural, this one with a horror movie feel. One of these could be a breakout, but the trailers aren't too encouraging.  

Black-ish

 Premiere Date: September 24

Showtime: 9:30 pm

Network: ABC

Description: A sitcom about an African-American family - ABC's attempt at the next Modern Family.

     

To Watch or Not to Watch: Hitflix and TVline both like the adult cast and think that the show has a lot of promise. The trailer doesn't make me want to watch the show - I'm not into the pilot. But I agree that the parents in the show (Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross) are funny and have good chemistry. Plus, Laurence Fishburne (!!) plays the grandfather. If you like family comedies, it is certainly worth checking out. But it might take a few episodes to find itself.  

Fall TV 2014 Previews: Tuesday Nights

Tuesday has the most new shows of any day of the week. There's several new comedies, an experiment in utopia, two new crime shows (including a new NCIS) and another teen superhero. 

Selfie

 Premiere Date: September 30

Showtime: 8pm

Network: ABC

Description: A very, very loose adaption of My Fair Lady with Karen Gillan as Eliza Dooley. a woman obsessed with social media until she realizes she has no real friends. She turns to John Cho as Henry Higenbottam, who reluctantly agrees to "rebrand" Eliza.

     

To Watch or Not to Watch: The pilot is already on Hulu, so you can judge for yourself. IGN likes the two leads (Gillan and Cho), but thinks the plot is a little thin and the slang is overdone. Hitflix hates the Eliza character as well as her buzzword lingo. No one is a fan of Karen Gillan's attempt at an American accent. I'm leaning towards "to watch" because I think this is a shaky premise that, like Ugly Betty could build into a beautiful show with awesome chemistry between the leads. Plus, I have a soft spot for both Karen Gillan and John Cho.

Fall TV 2014 Previews: Monday Nights

Monday nights have one my most anticipated new shows airing (Gotham). Plus a lot of other shows of which I'm much more wary. 

Scorpion

 Premiere Date: September 22

Showtime: 9pm 
 

Network: CBS

Description: A group of 20-something genius misfits aided by one "normal" waitress, work for Homeland Security. It's basically The Big Bang Theory, except with MORE! SHOUTING! and no laugh track.

     

To Watch or Not to Watch:The "first look" provided by CBS is basically a 5-minute synopsis of the first episode. It looks eye-rollingly formulaic. Then again, it could always pick up after the pilot (although I don't expect it to). I think this show will be successful in the line of an NCIS, but I'm probably out for the first half, and then will see what it looks like after the midway point. Reviewers seem to find it goofy/absurd, but entertaining.