When Revolution premiered in the fall of 2012, it looked like NBC had a hit on their hands. Then the show went on hiatus along with The Voice, and when it came back, the audience did not come with it. I managed to stick out the entire first season and, like most of America, was a bit surprised that the show was renewed for a second season. After a few of those second season episodes piled up on the DVR, I realized I had no desire to continue watching the show, so I bailed. I was surprised that the entire second season aired, but not that it got cancelled following that season. I have no idea if the quality improved and, despite some actors that I like, am not sad to see it go.
Tag / Revolution
NBC Upfronts
Thanks to Sunday Night Football and the Winter Olympics, NBC is finishing this season as the number 1 network in the coveted 18-49 demographic. Without the Olympics, things will not be as easy in the fall, so the network did some major upgrades, dropping poor performers like Community and Revolution and bringing in new shows starring the likes of Katherine Heigl, Debra Messing, and Kate Walsh.
The Blacklist, the one breakout scripted hit from last fall for NBC, returns to Mondays for the fall, before moving to Thursdays in the February after getting the post-Super Bowl slot. It will be replaced by State of Affairs, Heigl’s return to television as a CIA analyst who advises the president. Casey Wilson and Ken Marino team up for the new comedy Marry Me, slated for Tuesdays.
NBC looks to have abandoned the Must See TV concept on Thursday, replacing the first hour of comedy with a new season of The Biggest Loser. Two new comedies, Bad Judge, starring Kate Walsh, and A to Z, featuring the charming Cristin Milioti, follow it, at least until The Blacklist moves in the spring. Parenthood will return for an abbreviated 13 episode final season. Fridays see a new adaptation of DC’s Constantine, one that will hopefully make everyone forget about the Keanu Reeves film.
Not on the schedule yet are the final season of Parks and Recreation and a third season of Hannibal, plus new shows including Mr. Robinson, starring Craig Robinson as a musician forced to work as a substitute teacher, One Big Happy, a comedy starring Elisha Cuthbert as a gay woman who decides to have a baby with her best friend, right before he falls for a new woman, Emerald City, a miniseries re-imagining characters from The Wizard of Oz, and, of course, the previously announced Heroes Reborn.
There doesn’t appear to be much that I will be watching on NBC in the fall, and even less once Parenthood comes to an end. I may end up trying some of the new shows, and hopefully they will be worth the effort.
Midseason Review – Wednesdays
It’s Hump Day. Time to take a look back at my thoughts on the midweek offerings for the fall season.
7:00
Revolution – NBC’s lone hit from last fall moves to Wednesdays. This show struggled mightily once it returned from the winter hiatus, and it will need to start strong if I’m going to stick around for long.
Well, this one didn’t even make it to the second season premiere. Once again, bad reviews and a need to clear room off the DVR helped me realize once again that life is too short to watch shows I am not really enjoying.
Arrow – Surprisingly, the CW kind of hit it out of the park with this tale of Green Arrow. Season 2 will be offering an arc featuring Summer Glau, so I, for one, am excited to see where things go.
Arrow has basically turned itself in to the anti-Smallville, learning from the mistakes of its DC-based predecessor.
8:00
Criminal Minds – Another show heading into its ninth season. This one is getting a little tired, but it is still good more often than not.
No surprises here, but the show continues to be mostly entertaining.
Modern Family – This continues to be a funny show, even if most of the characters have become caricatures of themselves at this point. But that is to be expected in comedies entering their fifth season.
The show continues to chug along, although puberty has not really been kind to the youngest member of the Dunphy clan. Continue reading →
2013 New Fall Season – Wednesdays
We are at the official half way point of out look at the offerings for the new fall season.
7:00
Revolution – NBC’s lone hit from last fall moves to Wednesdays. This show struggled mightily once it returned from the winter hiatus, and it will need to start strong if I’m going to stick around for long.
Arrow – Surprisingly, the CW kind of hit it out of the park with this tale of Green Arrow. Season 2 will be offering an arc featuring Summer Glau, so I, for one, am excited to see where things go.
8:00
Criminal Minds – Another show heading into its ninth season. This one is getting a little tired, but it is still good more often than not.
Modern Family – This continues to be a funny show, even if most of the characters have become caricatures of themselves at this point. But that is to be expected in comedies entering their fifth season.
9:00
Nashville – A surprisingly entertaining show that took some wrong turns towards the end of last season. I’ll give it a shot to redeem itself this year. Continue reading →
NBC Upfronts
NBC jumped the gun and announced many of their renewals early, including the surprise 5th season of Community. Over the weekend, they presented their full schedule. The slate includes new shows with James Spader, Blair Underwood, Mike O’Malley, Sean Hayes, and Michael J. Fox. Revolution loses its plum post-Voice slot on Mondays and will have to fend for itself leading off Wednesdays. Parenthood inherits the once-exclusive Thursday night slot held by ER, but which has become a wasteland since that show went off the air. Community starts on the bench, waiting once again for one of the new comedies to falter. No word yet on the fate of Hannibal, which is piling up on the DVR and will likely be watched only if it gets renewed.
Overall, NBC is in a world of hurt. The only returning shows on their fall schedule that I am currently watching are Revolution, which has not grabbed much of my attention since it came back after a looooong hiatus, and Parenthood. None of their new shows looks promising on first glance. I guess there is a reason they are languishing in the ratings race.
Midseason Review – Mondays
Day 2 of our look back at my thoughts on the new fall television season and what is new for the winter and spring.
7:00
How I Met Your Mother – Entering its 8th, and last, season, this is a show in desperate need of a change. I’ve never been one of those people who felt that the show needed to introduce the title mother in order to make the show worth while, it has started to feel that the writers and producers are treading water while waiting to bring the mother on board. That could give the show enough juice to energize not just this season, but any possible future ones as well.
As it turns out, this is not the final season for HIMYM. Which means they will likely continue to tread water for another year.
Bones – Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz returned last week for the 8th season with a move to Mondays, taking over the House timeslot.
At this point, Bones is, to paraphrase Dennis Green, the show we thought it was.
8:00
2 Broke Girls – In some ways, this was one of the more disappointing series to debut last season. Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs are both talented actresses who could use better material. Hopefully the writers and producers spent the summer focusing on what worked last year and got rid of the base racial stereotypes that tended to drag things down.
The second season has improved somewhat, but the show still tends to go for the lowbrow laughs at every opportunity.
2012 New Fall Season – Mondays
Day 2 of our look at the new fall television season brings us to Mondays.
7:00
How I Met Your Mother – Entering its 8th, and possibly last, season, this is a show in desperate need of a change. I’ve never been one of those people who felt that the show needed to introduce the title mother in order to make the show worth while, it has started to feel that the writers and producers are treading water while waiting to bring the mother on board. That could give the show enough juice to energize not just this season, but any possible future ones as well.
Bones – Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz returned last week for the 8th season with a move to Mondays, taking over the House timeslot.
8:00
2 Broke Girls – In some ways, this was one of the more disappointing series to debut last season. Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs are both talented actresses who could use better material. Hopefully the writers and producers spent the summer focusing on what worked last year and got rid of the base racial stereotypes that tended to drag things down.