FOX Upfronts

For the second straight year, FOX has shifted their game plan, abandoning their single camera comedies and, instead, moving closer ideologically with its sister news network.  The end result is a fall schedule with only one show that interests me, and even that 9 unwatched episodes from this season still sitting on my DVR.

Monday has two returning shows, The Resident and 9-1-1, which didn’t pull me in last year.  The Gifted, based on Marvel’s X-Men characters, moves to Tuesdays, followed by a revamped Lethal Weapon.  Wednesday’s lineup remains consistent, with Empire followed by Star.

Thursdays get turned over to the NFL, as the much-reviled game moves over from CBS.  Friday has the revival of Tim Allen’s Last Man Standing and The Cool Kids, about a group of friends in a retirement community, followed by Hell’s Kitchen.  Sunday’s animated block remains mostly the same, with a new comedy, REL, closing off the night.

The second season of The Orville will return to Thursday after the NFL season.  Gotham will also appear at some point for its final season.  Also on tap for mid-season are The Passage, a post-apocalyptic thriller starring Mark-Paul Gosselar, Proven Innocent, a legal drama from Danny Strong, and the return of Cosmos.

Gone and mostly forgotten are Brooklyn Nine-Nine (which was saved by NBC), The ExorcistGhostedKicking & ScreamingThe Last Man On EarthLA To VegasLuciferThe MickNew Girl, Superhuman, Wayward Pines, and The X-Files.

FOX Upfronts

A year after banking their season on the return of old favorites, FOX has gone a different route this year.  Gotham loses its longtime home on Monday nights, replaced by The Gifted, based on Marvel’s X-Men characters, which will follow Lucifer.  Tuesdays will lead off with the second season of Lethal Weapon, followed by The Mick and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.  Wednesday takes a musical cue, with Empire followed by Star.

Gotham lands on Thursdays, followed by Seth MacFarlane’s first live-action show, The Orville.  Friday remains the same, with Hell’s Kitchen followed by The Exorcist.  A new comedy, Ghosted, moves in between The Simpsons and Family Guy on Sundays.

The final season of New Girl will appear at some point.  Also on tap for mid-season are The Resident, a groundbreaking medical drama starring, amongst others, Matt Czuchry and Emily VanCamp, and LA to Vegas, a comedy about a flight crew going back and forth between LA and Vegas.

Gone and mostly forgotten are APB, Making History, Pitch, Prison Break (which may return again in the future), Son of Zorn, 24: Legacy (again, may return in the future), Bones, Rosewood, Scream Queens, and Sleepy Hollow.

Midseason Review – Wednesdays

old-tv-set1We have reached the half way point of our look back at the offerings for the new fall season.  Here’s what Wednesdays had on tap for the fall.

7:00

Arrow – Season 5 finds Oliver Queen trying to save the city, both as the Arrow and as mayor.  This also promises to be the last season of flashbacks, making me look forward to season 6.

Honestly, Arrow’s new team isn’t really clicking with me.  Hopefully the spring switches back to the old configuration.

Lethal Weapon – FOX reboots the movie series with Damon Wayans.  Might be worth a look, at least.

I made it through a couple of episodes before bailing. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t really anything special.

8:00

Modern Family – The comedy, entering its eighth season, is really starting to show its age.  It’s still fun, but the plots are starting to get a little out there.

A strong first half of the season for the long time favorite.

Criminal Minds – The show returns for its twelfth season minus original stars Shemar Moore, who left last spring, and Thomas Gibson, who was fired for attacking a writer in the early going of this season.  To fill the void, Aisha Tyler has been bumped up to a regular cast member and Paget Brewster returns as Emily Prentiss.

A few new faces have joined the BAU and they continue to solve crimes.

Frequency – The CW reboots the movie, replacing Dennis Quaid with the fetching Peyton List.

The first season wraps up tonight, as father and daughter fight crime together, separated by time.

8:30

Black-ish – After a strong second season, the show returns looking to improve yet again.

This might be my favorite comedy currently airing.

9:00

Continue reading →

2016 New Fall Season – Wednesdays

old-tv-set1We have reached the half way point of our look at the offerings for the new fall season.  Here’s what Wednesdays have on tap for the fall.

7:00

Arrow – Season 5 finds Oliver Queen trying to save the city, both as the Arrow and as mayor.  This also promises to be the last season of flashbacks, making me look forward to season 6.

Lethal Weapon – FOX reboots the movie series with Damon Wayans.  Might be worth a look, at least.

8:00

Modern Family – The comedy, entering its eighth season, is really starting to show its age.  It’s still fun, but the plots are starting to get a little out there.

Criminal Minds – The show returns for its twelfth season minus original stars Shemar Moore, who left last spring, and Thomas Gibson, who was fired for attacking a writer in the early going of this season.  To fill the void, Aisha Tyler has been bumped up to a regular cast member and Paget Brewster returns as Emily Prentiss.

Frequency – The CW reboots the movie, replacing Dennis Quaid with the fetching Peyton List.

8:30

Black-ish – After a strong second season, the show returns looking to improve yet again.

9:00

Continue reading →

FOX Upfronts

24LegacyEverything old is new again at FOX, as their upfront presentation included new versions of 24, Lethal Weapon, The Exorcist, and Prison Break.  As is their norm, FOX announced multiple schedules, one for the fall and another for mid-season.

In the fall, Mondays remain the same, with Gotham followed by Lucifer.  24: Legacy, starring Corey Hawkins, premieres following the Super Bowl in February before settling in on Mondays.  Tuesdays comedy block gets reduced to Brooklyn Nine-Nine followed by New Girl, followed by the returning Scream Queens.

Wednesday is the home of the Lethal Weapon reboot, starring Damon Wayans in the Danny Glover role of Murtaugh.  The final season of Bones moves back an hour on Thursday in the fall, before giving way to the return of Prison Break in the spring.  Friday brings the adaptation of The Exorcist, which sounds like a horrible idea.

Gone, but not forgotten, are Bordertown, Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life, Grandfathered, The Grinder, Knock Knock Live, Minority Report, and Second Chance.