Mini Reviews: New TV Shows

I always get a little giddy when the new Fall TV season starts.  All the new series to check out, wondering what will make it, and what will bomb. So, now that I have seen all the new shows that I wanted to check out this season, it is time for a quick rundown on my thoughts.

Top Honors

How to Get Away with Murder (ABC Thursday 10/9c).  The show is dirty, soapy fun with just the right mix of crime of the week stories and heightened drama carried by a pretty and talented cast. Viola Davis fricken owns the screen whenever she's on it, and the young cast seems to be holding their own.  It isn't high art, but it already has me hooked into it's story, which is all I really ask of a TV series. The ratings are already through the rough for the premiere, and if the second episode avoids a major audience bleed, I can say this show is safe for a while.

Gracepoint (Fox Friday 9/8c)  Dark and emotionally brutal.  This show wasn't easy to watch in its original form of Broadchurch, and is as equally unsettling in its American remake.  The cast drives home the pain and fear after the violent death of a child, and the production looks beautiful, showing great restraint in its handling of a very uncomfortable, and painful subject.  As much as I loved this show, the storyline about a small town turned on its head by the murder of a 12 year old boy may be a bit too dark and painful for network viewers.  I may be wrong, but I see this one struggling in the ratings.  Luckily, this is an "Event" series, so if it doesn't make it past season one, we will still get a complete story.

Solid Showings

Selfie (ABC Tuesday 8/7c)  Funny, but very weird.  The humor is a mix of word play, gross out gags and oddly poetic dialogue.  The cast is stellar, the show is suitably bright and poppy, and the jokes come fast and furious, with more hits than misses.  Karen Gillian throws herself into the part of Eliza, tackling the physical humor, and bizarre lines with ease.  It helps that her and John Cho have solid chemistry, and play off each other very well.  An oddly sincere and sweet moment at the end of the pilot episode brought everything together to create a unique, weird TV experience. Still, the audience didn't show up for the premiere, and the sheer weirdness of the show may spell doom for the comedy.  Fingers crossed this odd, yet very creative show finds an audience, but without a solid lead in, it seems like ABC is hanging this one (and Manhattan Love Story... which I didn't bother with) out to dry.

Black-ish (ABC Wednesday 9:30/8:30c). Very funny, with a strong cast and a more grounded approach when it comes to its humor.  While it still has some over the top moments, over all this is a perfect match up to Modern Family. Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross play off each other perfectly, and Laurence Fishburn killed it as Anderson's sarcastic, droll father.  The show organically blends in the heart to heart family moments with the humor, creating a solid family friendly sitcom.  With very strong ratings for the premiere, and solid retention into the second episode, I see this one sticking around for a while, especially since it helps round out ABC's family focused sitcom night.

On the Fence

Stalker (CBS Wednesday 10/9c). A shockingly violent open involving a masked killer and a flaming car speeding down a hill backwards led to a luke warm episode.  While I enjoyed the show, the series needs to be more diverse in its crimes (and specifically victims) to shake the nasty, misogynistic tone created in the pilot. Still, there were pops of creativity, and Kevin Williamson still knows how to make a masked killer creepy, with an honest to God jump moment during a scene in a parking garage. Mix that in with some occasional pops of wit in the dialogue, and you get Scream-light for the Criminal Minds set. The cast is good, with Maggie Q easily slipping into her role as the emotionally closed off female detective with a soft side and a potentially dark past, and Dylan McDermott is seriously off putting in his role as an unhinged detective with his own secrets. The ratings were good, not great, so the second episode ratings will be needed to see if this one has staying power in an already crowded procedural market. Plus, can audiences handle back to back gruesome crime shows?  

Meh

The Mysteries of Laura (NBC Wednesday 8/7c). I caught this one by accident, actually.  It's... cute.  That can either be its saving grace, or its downfall.  The mystery was interesting, but it played second fiddle to the cast of colorful characters that populated Laura's life.  Laura herself is fairly interesting, with Debra Messing playing the straight man to the more cartoony cast surrounding her, and doing a pretty good job of it.  She does get a few moments to let her comedic side out. This is cosey murder mystery TV, which is playing very well with the Diagnosis Murder/Murder She Wrote crowd who probably find the more gruesome cop fare a little too stomach churning for their tastes.  Personally, I won't be rushing home to watch this one, but if I catch an episode here or there, I'll be okay.   The ratings are pretty strong two episodes in, so this one could stick around, as its lighter play on the police procedural works nicely in an early time slot. This is perfect for the Judging Amy/Providence crowd.   I could see this one working well with the TNT/USA marathon crowd.

Still Need to Watch:
Gotham (Fox Monday 8/7c)