Fall TV Preview: Tim's Top 5 Newbies

So, to say I watch a lot of TV is a bit of an understatement.  Every Fall I get real frantic with my DVR, and bring it to capacity 3-4 times a week.  This Fall is no different, and with 5 new shows that I'm really looking forward to(not to mention the other 20-30 that I'll watch based on my addiction), I hope my DVR can take it.  Let's take a look at what I'm feeling this year.



Almost Human
FOX Mon November 4th 8/7 central

Brought to us by producer/writer J.H. Wyman, with J.J. Abrams lending his name to it as well.  Wyman has some sci-fi cred with me, because he worked on Fringe as a producer/writer/director for its 5 year run.

The trailer for this show looks promising.  It's got that "Robocop meets Alien Nation" 80's sci-fi feel to it, but looking modern and different enough to stand out.  Karl Urban (Judge Dredd, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings) stars as John Kennex, a police officer who is injured in the job and is in a coma for nearly 2 years. When he wakes up, he finds out that parts of him have been replaced by synthetic parts.  Also, in returning to his job, he finds out that all police officers are required to partner up with synthetic androids, and his partner is named Dorian, played by Michael Ealy (Sleeper Cell, FlashForward, and Common Law).

I'm interested.  I hope that this show doesn't start off like Fringe initially did, where the producers try to make it a week to week procedural, hoping fans could "jump in" at any time.  Instead, I hope they learned their lesson from Fringe, which became infinitely better after multi-episode arcs, that spread over the entire series.  I guess I'll just have to tune in with the rest of the world on November 4th and find out.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine
FOX Tues September 17th 8/7 central

Michael Schur and Daniel J Goor (Schur & Goor sounds like an awesome buddy cop movie, btw)created this show, so this piques my interest.  Schur worked on The Office, and went on to create Parks and Recreation with Greg Daniels (who helped develop The Office for the US).  Goor was a writer for Parks and Rec, Conan, and The Daily Show along with many other projects.  These credentials alone are enough to get me excited, and then there's the cast.

I've always really liked Andy Samberg on SNL, but outside of that he hasn't really impressed me (although I did recently watch That's My Boy, and I was really sad at how much I enjoyed it).  I know what you're thinking, and The Lonely Island doesn't count, because it is mainly SNL digital shorts, without the visuals (the best part).  So hopefully, this is the vehicle that Samberg can really shine in.  Chelsea Peretti (also a writer from Parks and Rec), Terry Crews, and Joe Lo Truglio make up (what appears to be) the "comic relief," and Andre Braugher is the "straight man."  Overall, this show has a pretty interesting cast.  I try not to get too excited about pilots, but this one has been something I've been really anticipating (with FOX showing promos for it as early as April, how could I NOT be excited?).

We'll see how the public takes it.  We all know great shows get cancelled (Futurama, Arrested Development, Family Guy) because nobody wants to invest time in a show that might be cancelled.  It's the biggest Catch 22 of TV.  With DVDs, Hulu, and Netflix, people end up watching shows long after their gone, simply because they are available for "binge-watching."

Let's just Tune in on September 17th, watch this, and then hang out to watch Dads (I will give it a shot, but I will not enjoy it), New Girl, and The Mindy Project.

Hello Ladies
HBO Sun September 29th 10/9 central

This is brought to us by Stephen Merchant, Lee Eisenberg, and Gene Stupnitsky.  One created The Office in the UK, the other two wrote and directed episodes of The Office in the US, seasons 2-6.

The show is about Stuart, played by Merchant, who comes to Los Angeles from England, looking to shed his nerdy past, and become a "ladies man."

I've always liked Merchant's dry comedic delivery, so I'm interested in seeing him be the leading man in this one.  The main cast of Nate Torrence, Kevin Weisman (Marshall!), and Christine Woods is capable of helping make this show amazing.  I've laughed at every trailer so far, so I guess that's a good start.

September 29th on HBO?  I guess I'll have to renew my subscription.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
ABC Tues September 24th 8/7 central

As a comic book/movie/TV lover, I am ready for this show.  Clark Gregg brings his (now legendary) Iron Man/Thor/Avengers character Agent Phil Coulson back to life for the series, and I'm really interested in how they are going to pull this off.  With Joss Wheadon on as Writer/Director/Producer, my "nerd-boner" reads high-noon.  There are a lot of aspects to this show that seem really cool to me, from the possibilities of crossing over with the films, to introducing minor "fan-favorite" superheroes throughout the series.  Also, it could totally suck.  I'm ready to accept it as-is, and work forward from there, but is America ready to "nerd it up?"

This pilot has been shrouded in secrecy, so I really don't know much about it.  I like this better.  I hate watching trailers,seeing all of the amazing things that happen over the course of 42 minutes getting clipped together inside of 90 seconds, and then being bored because I saw everything exciting in the episode.

Super Fun Night
ABC Wed October 2nd 9/8 central

This show looks crazy, in a good way.  Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect, Bridesmaids, Workaholics) created, writes and stars in SFN.

The show is about 3 friends, Kimmie Boubier (Wilson), Helen-Alice (Lauren Ash), and Marika (Liza Lapira), who for the last 13 years, spent their Friday nights together at home.  This all changes when Kimmie gets an invite from a lawyer she works with to a club, but it's on a Friday night.  The girls decide to fully embrace it, and go all out for their first Friday on the town.  Hilarious antics ensue.

Rebel Wilson will be what makes this show work.  Her frantic, while monotone, delivery is hysterical.  I'm just hoping that people give this show a chance, unlike other ABC sitcoms like Happy Endings and Don't Trust the B**** in Apt 23.  Originally this concept was shot for CBS as a multi-camera live studio audience show, and I am so glad that didn't take.  While there are "laugh track" shows I do watch and enjoy, single-camera is my preferred choice.

I'll be there on October 2nd, will you?!

Make a conscious effort to squeeze these shows into your previously scheduled programming this fall...or else!

(Disclaimer: There are really no "or else" consequences...it just felt right.)