CBS:Â
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Bob Hearts Abishola: Bob a middle-aged businessman from Detroit runs his family’s successful, highly competitive compression sock company with his mother Dottie, sister Christina, and younger brother Douglas. When the stress of the job lands him in the Woodward Memorial Hospital with a heart attack, while recovering he is immediately drawn to Abishola, his kind, hard working nurse. He sets his sights on winning her over despite her lack of initial interest or the vast differences in their backgrounds when she’s originally from Nigeria. After coming to America from Nigeria to find a better life for herself and her son Dele, Abishola lives in a small apartment with her super-protective relatives, Auntie Olu and Uncle Tunde where her family and work is all that consumes her life. No matter the issues Bob is determined to win Abishola’s heart.Â
Verdict: Cancelled. This is a cute premise by Chuck Lorre creator of “The Big Bang Theory” and “2&half Men” who has worked with Billy Gardell on “Mike & Molly” but it seems like more a movie then a TV show. I do not know how long he can plan on Bob wooing her before it gets stale and if he does end up with her are they going to date and get married in the end? It seems like a forced premise that he falls for the 1st person he sees when he wakes up from heart attack that is trying hard to force a biracial relationship as well. They are from different cultures but he still thinks it can work sounds like a movie premise.Â
It has a strong supporting cast to carry it in Matt Jones(Of Breaking Bad & Mom) as his brother, his mother is played by Christine Ebersole(Of Royals Pains & Sullivan and Son), his sister played by Maribeth Monroe(Of Workaholics & The Good place) and the Abishola’s uncle is played by Barry Henley(in many roles in including a Star is Born & Robbie and Homicide Division), plus her co-worker is played by Vernee Watson-Johnson(Of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air & General Hospital). That still does not make me want to keep tuning in as I’m also not a huge fan of Gardell’s comedy as well and I don’t feel any connection to his character either. It will be one of the first shows to be cancelled.
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Carol’s Second Act: Patricia Heaton (Of Everybody Loves Raymond & The Middle) stars as Carol Kenney who is her in 50’s has raised her children, gotten divorced and retired from teaching. Instead of kicking up her heels and taking a well-earned break, she decides it’s time to start over, committing to the pursuit of her dream of becoming a doctor. As the oldest medical intern by a lot she must sink or swim with peers who are half her age. Luckily for her, her enthusiasm, perspective and even her age may be exactly what makes her second act a great success. At Loyola Memorial she has to deal with the chief resident being a strict disciplinarian plus the other young interns who all come from different backgrounds and are trying to be the intern that shines the most. Verdict: Renewed. It is a sitcom about interns in a hospital not a sad super drama filled medical show plus it doesn’t show medical procedural scenes.Â
It has a well diverse cast with a minority female intern, an intern who gets into the program because his dad knows the Senior attending physician (played by Kyle MacLachlan from Agents of Shield & Twin Peaks) who isn’t the brightest and an intern who has overachieved his whole as he went to Harvard and will let you know how smart he is/accomplished he is. Also this supporting cast has a head nurse played by Cedric Yarbrough (Of Speechless & Reno 911) and Dr. Kenney has a daughter who appears in a few episodes as drug rep played by Ashley Tisdale (Of Suite Life of Zach & Cody & High School Musical). If you’re a fan of her work in Everybody Loves Raymond and The Middle you will like her as a lead not a supporting role which she deserves to have and with a different take on a medical show like “Scrubs” it can be show the lighter side of being a doctor. She does whatever it takes to give the best care to her patients so you can get behind her as someone who actually cares which is why shows like the Resident and New Amsterdam work becayse the main character is easy to root for.
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The Unicorn: Walter Goggins (Of Justified & many movies like the Accountant) stars as Wade an owner of a landscaping company and is a single father of two girls who is trying his best to balance losing his wife a year ago, and still be that devoted father to his kids as he tries to reenter the real world of being an adult like dating. What he finds out from his tight-knit group of friends is that he is a “Unicorn” in the world of dating as he is a perfect guy because he is employed, attractive and has a proven track record of commitment. With his daughters and best friends rooting him on and hoping he’ll find happiness, Wade and his healing heart are ready to try life and love again. Verdict: Renewed. This is one very clever concept for a sitcom plus it makes you laugh so many times during an episode that you just want more. Goggins always has a knack to play characters that are easy to root for and in this you want him to be happy and move on. It also helps that this show has a great supporting cast playing his friends and the actresses playing his daughters are adorable and funny. You start off with Rob Corddry (Of Children’s Hospital & Hot Tub Time Machine) who is one of the funnier character actors in Hollywood, Michaela Watkins (Of SNL & Trophy Wife) and Omar Benson Miller (Of CSI Miami & Ballers). You may not be a parent or be married or even a widower but we all can feel for him and relate to him when it comes to dating in this day and age especially his struggles.Â
We all can relate to struggles in the dating world and how hard it is to navigate through it. So seeing him navigate through a new point in his life is interesting to follow, plus we have all gone through losing someone in our lives, it may not be a spouse but we all can relate to that as well. It is only sad to start the show to explain how he got to it being a year later from when his spouse passed away, but after that it is very funny with humor in unexpected places. It also shows off a whole new side of the talented Walton Goggins plus it balances comedy with the delicate nature of the subject.
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Evil: Forensic psychologist Kirsten Bouchard who used to work for the district attorney’s office is recruited by the Catholic Church to work for them by determining if a person is being possessed by a demon or just a psychopath. She is recruited by a priest in training David Acosta who investigates the church’s backlog of unexplained mysteries, including supposed miracles, demonic possessions and other extraordinary occurrences. Their job is to assess if there’s a logical explanation or if something truly supernatural is at work, examining the origins of evil along the dividing line between science and religion. He also has a tech expert and equipment expert to looks into that side while Kristen looks into the scientific side of it. Verdict: Renewed. This is unique idea that is very creative and it’s a different kind of investigative show. Also I really believe in Mike Colter’s (Of Luke Cage) pretrial of Acosta and like the supporting role Aasif Mandvi (Of the Daily Show & Spiderman 2) brings to the show as Ben Shroff the contractor. It has an X-Files feel to it about trying to explain the unknown with science because like in that show it is always hard to believe things that we cannot explain like aliens and what not over there.Â
Here it is about mythological and biblical ways to explain things. Katja Hebers (Of Westworld) plays the scientist role like Scully and Colter plays the Mulder role where he fully believes the unknown even though it might sound crazy. There are too many stick to the book boring procedural shows that always investigate in a one way and that’s all you see on TV. This is a chance for something different and unique to get people actually interested in tuning in week to week because of excitement. I can see this show being on for 5 years or more because there are so many ways this show can go and things to investigate that we cannot explain. The worry is CBS cancels this show because it’s not the same old way they do TV old school procedurals and spinoffs, because it feel likes a concept show that would do better on cable.
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All Rise: Newly appointed Judge Lola Carmichael of Los Angeles County Superior Court, is a highly regarded deputy district attorney who doesn’t intend to sit back on the bench in her new role but instead leans in. Her intention is to fight for justice immediately by pushing the boundaries and challenging the expectations of what a judge can be. The show centers around her new career as a judge but also around her former colleague Mark Callan in the district attorney’s office who is also her best friend and other lawyers like Emily Lopez (played by Jessica Camacho of Flash & Taken) plus the support staff but also other judges like superior judge Lis Banner her boss who is played by Marg Helgenberger (Of CSI). Verdict: Renewed. This is one different kind of “law” show where instead of it being about a group of lawyers from one company/the government or one lawyer in particular it is through the eyes of a new judge. She is trying to change the law system that is stuck in the past or judges who just want to make things go away and not make an impact. Also the other two lawyers that are featured in this show as well want to fight for what’s wrong but on different sides. I do like the character story line about the bailiff who plans on being a lawyer and his impact on the show because the show starts off with a bang like real action right away that hooks you in.
 I am confused on if one character takes notes in court as her official job but is also a courtroom reporter too, plus they assigned Lola a judge’s assistant who doesn’t get along with her so that dynamic I do not like. It seems forced how Lopez so far has all of her trials in Lola’s courtroom. Also the relationship she has with her best friend/colleague hints at something more but of course he has a girlfriend that you never see. Based on the interesting premise and characters that have been introduced we should be able to see how and if Lola can change the system from the Judge’s chair not as a lawyer. The thing I worry about is every law show that has debuted in the last five years on broadcast television has been cancelled after one season or two at most except one; Bull another CBS law show that is a different prospective to doing a law show. The hope is you can have faith in CBS keeping this different kind of law show like they have before unlike the other four broadcast stations. I think this can be 3-5 year run show if renewed.
NBC:
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Bluff City Law: In the aftermath of her mother passing, top corporate attorney Sony Strait(played by Caitlin McGee) puts asides years of conflict with her dad who she used to work for by coming back to work for him after years of not speaking. Her father is a famous civil rights attorney in Memphis named Elijah Strait played by Jimmy Smits (of La Law & NYPD Blue) who convinces her to work for the “good guys” by defending people who need it not be an “evil” prosecutor but also for them to reconnect after their loss. She also knows that working together is the best chance to change the world by helping out the people who need it. Verdict: Cancelled. It has a promising premise of father-daughter being reunited over their shared loss by the daughter going back home to work with the father again.Â
They show they care about doing good and defending the people who can’t always get the help they need plus most law shows go by same old formula of being very procedural so it sounds like a movie plot more than a long running TV show. NBC is trying to have another successful law show like their history with Law & Order, its spinoffs, LA Law, and the fact that Smits has played a lawyer two previous times but it seems forced with him as well trying to play a lawyer three times. The take of a widely unknown actress playing the main character-the daughter alongside a veteran actor is interesting but can also be hard to gauge her acting skills. They might be hinting a relationship with the other lead lawyer Jake Reilly which we don’t need plus her ex is on the show as chief of detectives who has been in episodes, which equal more unneeded drama. You already have drama with her father which is the basis of the show so more drama doesn’t help but the interesting part is the lawyer she works with most on cases they went to college who is played Michael Luwoye (of Hamilton & The Gifted). In the first episode they introduce a veteran lawyer played by Jayne Atkinson (of 24 & House of Cards) who has known the main character since she was a kid so at least she has two c-workers she gets along with but they derail it by having her orientation announced as soon as she is in the episode which is another thing that isn’t needed right away in a show. At the end of the first episode they have to drop another bombshell of drama with her father so by the second episode they are back to hating each other. The viewers don’t need mass drama everywhere but they decide to add even more drama by saying that the guy in the office is actually her brother from an affair her father had. The only drama should be how she handles herself as lawyer if it differs with her dad or co-workers that is all. All of this drama takes away from being about good lawyers defending people who need it, as I see it not getting more episodes.Â
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Perfect Harmony: Bradley Whitford (of the West Wing & the Handmaid’s Tale) stars as a former Princeton music professor Arthur Cochran who moves to Kentucky after the death of his wife as it’s her home state. He unexpectedly stumbles into choir practice at a small-town church where he finds an oddball group of singers that is out of tune in more ways than one. Despite the ultimate clash of sensibilities and lifestyles Arthur reluctantly agrees to help these newfound cohorts. They include temporary choirmaster Ginny played by Anna Camp (of Pitch Perfect & True Blood) her ex, Wayne, vocal powerhouse Adams, gentle giant Dwayne, the impossibly upbeat Reverend Jax played by Rizwan Manji (of Outsourced & Schitt’s Creek) and more.Â
This could be the “perfect” match as they might be what he is looking for somewhere to belong/people who care after losing his wife and they need someone to help their choir team and community. Verdict: Cancelled. This premise seems like an uplifting Christian based film about a choir who needs help winning the singing contest against other churches but not until they find the right person to lead them there. They try to force Christianity and religion in this show like it’s the only way to explain how positive things are happening or a sign if you do something bad something bad will happen to you. It’s a good show for an actress who can sing like Camp did in Pitch Perfect to play a role where you sing a lot in the episode but they are forcing the drama of her son and her ex-husband being in the choir too. Some of the ensemble supporting cast is interesting but nothing great in terms of character development into being actually interested in them. There also have not been many or any really funny moments either which is going to be problem when it’s a sitcom. As good as Whitford is in this role and as actor as a whole he can’t carry a show that isn’t funny or seem to know where it is going if it’s a cheesy show/movie plot or if it has room to grow. If they get better as a choir and win a trophy does Arthur get his job back as a college professor and leave the town which just signals how limited the premise can be as a multiyear running sitcom as it can run out of ideas very quickly.Â
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Sunnyside: Former New York City Councilmen Garrett Modi played by Kal Penn(of Harold and Kumar & Designated Survivor) was the youngest Queens councilman ever elected, was a rising star in New York politics until he was pushed out of office after a very public fall from grace of being drunk on camera and being arrested. With his reputation in shambles, Modi is forced to move in with his sister Mallory until he can figure out a way to redeem himself and earn a paycheck. An unexpected opportunity emerges when he’s hired by a quirky and diverse group of idealists: hardworking Griselda (played by Diana-Maria Riva of Man with a plan & the good guys), cab driver Hakim, crazy-rich siblings Mei Lin and Jun Ho, American-raised Moldovan Brady, and dive bar DJ Drazen who’s also Moldovan. He hopes to help them achieve their dream of citizenship. Verdict: Cancelled. This could have been a good uplifting comedy with an unknown assemble cast but it gets derailed at every chance.Â
It’s like they want Modi to keep failing at every turn but also he doesn’t have many redeeming qualities despite the premise of trying to help these people. As funny as Penn in his career he doesn’t have the acting chops to lead a sitcom he has always been better as a duo or part of a cast. They haven’t really explored the supporting cast’s back story as well as most are very stupidly written too. It is supposed to be a comedy but there haven’t been many funny moments it’s just been stupid moments or some sad moments. Before the fall schedule started it was one of the two sitcoms that I thought from trailers would have been cancelled and it appears that it doesn’t have much legs to stand on to be funny consistently or even having any rewarding aspects from the characters or this show.      Â
ABC:Â
Emergence: Police Chief Jo Evans(played by Allison Tolman of Fargo & Good Girls) of Long Island a single mother of a teenager takes in the mysterious young girl Piper the sole survivor of the plane crash near the site of a mysterious accident, and is determined to protect her from those who want the child. She soon discovers the girl has no memory of what has happened or who she is. The investigation of the series of bizarre electronic disruptions, unexplained forces and a strange cryptic symbol are also at play along with the history that led up to the accident and questions as to how and why it happened. It then draws Jo into a conspiracy larger than she ever imagined, with the child’s identity at the center of it. Â Verdict: Renewed. This is a real kind of Sci-Fi program and show that explores a mystery as why something happened where law enforcement tries to figure it out when the government could be covering it up like others before it. I do like the supporting cast of her ex-husband played by Donald Faison(of Scrubs & The Exes), father played by Clancy Brown(of Shawshank Redemption & various voice acting for shows) and her best friend played by Zabryna Guevara(of Gotham & New Amsterdam) who are all trying to help her figure out who the girl is and where she is from.Â
They all have unique skills that can help Jo out as her best friend is the pediatrician who helps in trying to get Piper’s memories back, her ex-husband who is a civil engineer with a knowledge for deciphering and decoding information, and her dad is a retired firefighter who lives with his daughter and grandkid so he can watch the kids. She also works with an investigative journalist who has been looking into a company that might be involved with the conspiracy around Piper’s existence. Also, the kid Piper she instantly hooks you into the show and you want to know all about her. The issue is ABC does not have the history of letting these kind of shows stick around for a while. Because it has a high concept idea and many different genres fighting to be the main theme. The last high concept show they had called “The Crossing” with law enforcement trying to solve a mystery that happened in their town but the government was trying to cover it up, but it got cancelled after one year. Or “Manifest” on NBC that was too confusing with what type of show it wanted to be plus too much drama was taking away the essence of it. There are lots of unexplained things that happened in the “Crossing” for example like having Sci-Fi elements to explain who the surviving people were and why they came which is what Emergence is also exploring as to where this girl came from specifically and why people are after her/government cover-up. If this show sticks to just being Sci-Fi with investigative work which they have done to start the show, where the police chief and journalist, I don’t see why it cannot escape the fate of other shows that get bogged by too much drama or confusion.Â
Stumptown: Based on the graphic novels of the same name Cobie Smulders (of How I Met Your Mother & the Marvel Universe) stars as Dax Parios is a Marine veteran who struggles to get by and take care of her younger brother in Portland, Oregon. She also struggles with PTSD from her time as a Marine in Afghanistan, where she worked in military intelligence until she was injured by an explosion which killed her childhood sweetheart and former lover. Burdened by heavy gambling debts and unable to hold down a steady job, she becomes a private investigator to solve problems where the police cannot get involved. She uses her skills from the military with her own style which puts her in a league of her own, landing her in the firing line of hardcore criminals while not quite in alliance with the rules and objectives of the local police Detective Miles Hoffman played by Michael Ealy(of Think Like a Man & Seven Pounds), He is the one who refers her those problems the police can’t handle and Grey McConnell played by Jake Johnson(of New Girl & Jurassic World), a bar owner and Dex’s closest friend, provides moral support and employs her brother Ansel at his bar. Verdict: Renewed. In a world of many non-original ideas on TV here comes an original idea drawn from the comics about a PI who is actually trying to get justice for those who cannot get it for themselves or even from the cops.
The lead Smulders is an actress many people have enjoyed for her role in a long running sitcom and is a part of the Marvel cinematic universe so you can be comfortable with her acting skills. You want to root for her in her next role to succeed in making Portland safer. Also, the supporting cast of Johnson and Ealy are also positives but they actually serve a purpose as her best friend who she goes to for advice/helping her brother and a detective who condones her behavior in a way in being a PI that can help people he can’t. He is the one that suggests to her to become one which shows he has confidence in her helping people and the way the show is structured there are endless possibilities of ways she can help those who really need it. When watching you want her to succeed and get her life together not just for her but her brother who she supports because he has no one else looking out for him. It is also not such a serious show as other crime solving shows as it doesn’t take itself too seriously because it has light humor sprinkled in throughout the episodes as they find the perfect blend that others don’t have. It also had a great soundtrack like how all the trailers and in episodes it is full of female centric artists like Blondie, Pat Benatar and Dona Summer to name some with lots of classic rock being played. It does drive the narrative with female artists playing in the background with the lead being a female who is bad ass/kicks ass and so does all of these artists so it’s a perfect blend of music with the show’s premise. There might be a pause to ABC renewing it because they haven’t had a history of interesting procedural/crime solving shows that they have cancelled after one year like “Deception”, “Whiskey Cavalier”, and “Take Two” but the hope is the strong acting and source material keeps it on the air for a few years.
CW:
Batwoman: Three years after Batman mysteriously disappeared, Gotham is a city in despair, and it’s under the watch of Jacob Kane (played by Dougray Scott of Mission Impossible II & Desperate Housewives) and his military-grade Crows Private Security, which now protects the city with omnipresent firepower and militia. When the Alice in Wonderland gang targets the firm, Kane’s daughter Kate returns home, deciding that if she wants to help her family and her city, she’ll have to become the one thing her father loathes — a dark knight vigilante. With the help of her stepsister Mary and the crafty Luke Fox, the son of Wayne Enterprises’ tech guru Lucius Fox, Kate Kane(played by Ruby Rose of Orange is the New Black & John Wick 2) continues the legacy of her missing cousin, Bruce Wayne. Armed with a passion for social justice and a flair for speaking her mind, Kate soars through the shadowed streets of Gotham as Batwoman. Verdict: Renewed. The way to look at this show is the replacement for “Arrow” as the non-super powered hero-vigilante show but also the CW’s crack at a Batman show again. Arrow was a Batman kind of show with many elements from his story not Green Arrow’s and this is a post-Batman show. You also view it as Gotham needs a hero no matter who to stop the crime that has infested it since he has left.Â
Also it is canon which means it is directly coming from a comic book source where this is how the character has been the whole time since they created her. Instead of changing a character’s origin story or who they are to fit the PC culture of this era they are promoting it on of their characters the way she is. It is nice to get a Batman show on TV no matter who is donning the cape as she has her own team of people on her side like Luke Fox being like his father Lucius, and Kane’s step-sister being her medic friend to help her when she gets wounded like Dr. Leslie Thompkins. The only thing is who is her Alfred? All she is trying to do is live up the mantle that Bruce Wayne left. She’s not trying to be Batman or try to replace him, she wants to do her best to save her city from evil. She wants Gotham to finally have a symbol of hope for a better future. It is a little too convenient that her sister could be a villain in the show and her father runs the security force that has been in use since Batman left, but it is just more back story for her. CW knew a Robin or Batgirl shouldn’t or wouldn’t sell and they were right this has been kickass by taking down bad guys using all of the gadgets he left behind. It is also cool that it has been filmed in Chicago, or parts of it making it Chicago, Gotham, not New York. The hope is they can start introducing some villains we have heard of to add some more intrigue like why Batman and his partners left.Â
Nancy Drew: Nancy Drew has always been a brilliant detective whose sense of self had come from
solving mysteries in her hometown of Horseshoe Bay, Maine but then her mother's untimely death derails Nancy's college plans. She is also devastated by her mother's passing which makes her swear off crime-solving while crossing off the days until she can reapply to college. Then a socialite is murdered where Nancy works and she finds herself a prime suspect in the crime, along with a group of other teens present at the scene: Nancy's nemesis from high school, George Fan; a rich girl with a mysterious past, Bess Marvin; Nancy's secret boyfriend, Ned "Nick" Nickerson and amiable burnout Ace. The five of them must team up to clear their own names and even more mysteries along the way which rekindles Nancy’s passion for finding out the truth. Verdict: Renewed. The CW is trying to build up another universe like their “Arrow-verse” by cornering the market on team drama shows with this attempt at Nancy Drew’s story as they already have “Riverdale” and they started a “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” on Netflix plus have a spinoff of Riverdale coming this spring. They have so far done this version right as there have been two movies and two TV shows before this and so far are actually trying to solve mysteries with a cast full of unknowns that you build with as this show ages as the actress playing Nancy has done a great job in the role.Â
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They also can use the many books of source materials if this show gets a few years on air so it is not the same mystery every week as they are only doing that so far to get you introduced to every characters back story including hers. A thing this show does well is how they grab your attention and interest while they reveal shocking plot lines and suspense. The only actor with an extensive acting career is the father in the show Scott Wolf (of Party of Five & V) his character so far has been trying to be the role model of the show as the town’s lawyer but like everyone has his own secrets. There too many coincidences with how she knows the detective looking into the crime, how her father is working with the socialite’s husband, how her current boyfriend became her boyfriend, how her co-workers fit into the mystery as well but that’s how TV shows sometimes work. If they stick to solving mysteries and not get bogged down into too much drama this show can be on for a while, plus you can look into maybe in the future seeing a Hardy Boys show as well.Â
FOX:Â
Prodigal Son: Malcolm Bright (played by Tom Payne of The Walking Dead & Waterloo Road) is a gifted criminal psychologist, using his twisted genius to help the NYPD solve crimes and stop killers as forensic profiler after being fired from the FBI for being too reckless. As a child, Malcolm was responsible for enabling the police to arrest his father Martin Whitly(played by Michele Sheen of Masters of Sex & Frost Nixon), who is the infamous serial killer known as “The Surgeon” and has not seen his father in ten years. The cop who arrested his father and looked out for him Lieutenant Gil Arroyo (played by Lou Diamond Phillips of La Bamba & Stargate Universe) is the reason he is working for NYPD by recruiting him to help his team solve murders but Malcolm is forced to confront his father after a copycat serial killer uses Dr. Whitly’s methods of killing. He now finds himself drawn back into constant contact with his father as he must both use Whitly’s insights to help the police solve particularly horrible crimes and battle his own inner demons. He also has to deal with his manipulate mother and his worrying sister a TV journalist and get the trust of his new team. Verdict: Renewed. There is finally a show that actually solves a new crime/murder every week unlike shows that stay on the same mystery all season long. So far there has not been too much drama bringing down the show outside of his mother (played Bellamy Young of Scandal & Criminal Minds) who is not believable as his mother since he is only 13 years older than him, so she doesn’t look old enough to be his mom plus she is overbearing but lots of mothers are.Â
The main thing that sticks out is his connection to his father who yes he is a serial killer but Malcolm is only using him to help solve murders because he used to pick his father’s brain when he was in college studying psychology. It will be interesting how his new reason for being around him will affect him as he has been struggling with that all of his life that maybe one day he will succumb to the same sociopathic tendencies like his father. I can sense great acting chemistry between Sheen and Payne which will be great to see how far they take their reconnecting in terms of solving murders but how they can help Payne’s character get past his childhood trauma. I also like the supporting cast led by Diamond Phillips and his detectives that work under him like Frank Harts being a skeptic about his boss hiring Malcolm. Plus his supporting sister played by Halston Sage (of The Orville) is the light in the darkness he needs as he struggles with his inner demons and his parents as she is the only family member he gets along with. I can see this being a long running show of three-five years if Fox lets this interesting, odd, but out there show of crime solving stay on the air longer than “Hannibal” the show people are saying it closely resembles.Â
Almost Family: Only child Julia Bechley (played by Brittany Snow of Pitch Perfect & Guiding Light) finds her life turned upside down when her father Leon (played by Timothy Hutton of Leverage & Ordinary People) reveals that, over the course of his prize-winning career as a pioneering fertility doctor, he used his own genetic material to conceive dozens of children. Reeling from this explosive revelation, Julia discovers two new sisters, former friend Edie Palmer (played by Megalyn Echikunwoke of 24 & the 4400) and ex-Olympic athlete Roxy Doyle (played by Emily Osment of Hannah Montana & Young and Hungry). As these three young women begin to embrace their new reality, Julia must figure out what life is like without her father by her side as they all have to deal with issues that have been affecting their lives. Against all odds, the three women attempt to form a bond as sisters, even as they must welcome a tidal wave of new siblings into their rapidly expanding family. Verdict: Cancelled. This show feels like a failed movie plot or a TV show that should have never been where you are an only child and you find out you have other siblings out there that your father never told you about.
It is also plays off like a comedy but it’s an hour long show which doesn’t make sense sitcoms are usually a half hour. It is like “Good Girls” on NBC where it should only be a half hour not an hour but because it is longer they have to throw in extra scenes that we don’t care or need to see. If it is supposed to be a drama it feels more like a train wreck with stupid things happening. We don’t need a love triangle or anything about their dating lives. It should be about connecting with her new siblings and her relationship with her father going forward. It might have a strong cast but it doesn’t seem well written for a TV show, just a bad movie plot. Maybe if it was a half hour show and they cut out some of the unneeded crap it could be another welcome addition to live action shows that Fox has had but it sometimes feels like an episode of “Maury Povich”. Bad writing, bad premise, and making light of a serious crime, and things that distract from the main theme equals horrible television.
Bless the Harts: The Harts are a Southern family that is forever struggling to make ends meet. They hope to achieve the American dream as Jenny Hart (voiced by Kristen Wiig of SNL & Bridesmaids) is a single mother supporting her family working as a waitress in the small town of Greenpoint, N.C. While Jenny’s the head of her family, she’s often at odds with, or scheming with, her lottery scratcher-obsessed mother, Betty (voiced by Maya Rudolph of SNL &, The Good Place) and her witty, creative daughter, Violet(voiced by Jillian Bell of Workaholics & 22nd Jump Street). Jenny’s devoted and optimistic boyfriend of 10 years, Wayne Edwards (voiced by Ike Barinholtz of Neighbors & the Oath), is the love of her life and a surrogate father to Violet. He’s a charming dreamer who may never hit the big time, but he’s not going to give up the fight. In the end, the Harts may not have much, but they may just have everything they need in friends, family and laughter. Verdict: Renewed. It has been awhile since Fox added to their “Animation Domination” night as they added only live action shows the last few years so it’s now factually named. They usually have another show to fill in between the two main stays of “Simpsons & Family Guy” and now “Bob’s Burgers” once it moved to a permanent time slot. After the football season they usually have a show before the main four but they didn’t add one last TV schedule or even replacement shows when ones don’t do well like “Rel” which was in the regular time slot last year. It is nice they added another dumb comedy to the two hour block because that’s what it’s all about something to make you laugh for a few hours like you do with the other three animated shows. It also has a voice cast of people you all know as well as it was created by a former SNL writer who hired her friends who used to work on SNL.  It was based on her life growing up in High Point, North Carolina and is based in the state’s Triad region. It may not be on the level of “King of the Hill”, “Futurama”, “American Dad”, or “The Cleveland Show”, but it is way better than the nine previous failed attempts at animated comedy. It mixes and matches elements from other family comedies; but the proven correct way is with an idiot dad, the together mom, the misunderstood teenager and crazy other relatives living with them as the creator hopes of finding its own groove but following the template that was set before her. I like the chemistry Wiig & Rudolph have together so it just seems like they actually are fighting or gossiping like real friends. Also, Barinhotlz is always funny no matter what role and they love to keep putting him into bad situations as he comes up with schemes to get rich quickly that untimely fail like the other animated dads on Fox.Â
