This week is the upfronts, in which the networks present their new schedules and preview the shows they've picked up for the fall and spring season. It's a magical time for TV wonks. It's like opening day, where all the teams get to start anew with fresh hope for the next season. Based on all the new shows that NBC has picked up for next year, however, it appears as though they are the Pittsburgh Pirates: They just don't have the talent to compete, bless their hearts. Josh has already posted NBC's new schedule for next year, and while we're all grateful our favorite shows are returning (even if "Community" has been dumped into Friday nights), what about all those new shows on the schedule? How do they look?
Two or three look promising, but overall, I'd give NBC's new slate a C-. Here, from best to worst, are the new shows we are looking at for next season with video previews.
Animal Practice stars Justin Kirk as the Gregory House of a vet clinic. I wasn't sold on the idea, but I must have briefly forgotten how fantastic Justin Kirk is. Plus, a monkey! Who doesn't love a monkey? The clips seems to undersell it, but there's a lot of life in the premise, I think, if only in animal hi-jinx. If you're a little skeptical of this clip representing the top new show on NBC, wait until you see the other clips.
This second clip, which features Tyler Labine (he's great, but show poison) should seal the deal.
Revolution comes from J.J. Abrams, and the pilot is directed by Jon Favreau. The premise: There's a black-out all over the entire Earth: There is no energy. Anywhere. Planes crash. Governments fall. Smart phones stop working. Citizens of the Earth have to make do in the new apocalypse. It looks half promising, half awful, like a mish-mash between some of the interesting elements of "Lost" and the horrible casting of "Terra Nova," save for Giancarlo Esposito, who looks totally effing bad ass in this. Abrams is the reason why I'll watch, Giancarlo Esposito is the reason I'll continue watching even after I know it's horrible.
Go On stars Matthew Perry as a sportscaster dealing with the death of his wife. He befriends a bunch of people in group therapy. It's kind of like "Community," only instead of a study group, it's a therapy group, and only instead of being funny, it looks kind of weak. But, Matthew Perry and no laugh track! It's at least worth a look, and NBC is pinning much of its fall hopes on this show so I hope, for their benefit, it's better than it looks. The preview clip, however, is not particularly encouraging.
1600 Penn stars Jenna Elfman as a step-mother in the White House married to the President (Bill Pullman, bitches!) trying to win over the kids. The clip actually has a little bit of promise, and the show does come from a speech writer for Obama. So, maybe?
Next Caller is about an a**hole talk radio host (Dane Cook) trying to save his show, and while the clip doesn't give us much to work with, I see a little promise despite Dane Cook (who I typically can't stand) because Jeffrey Tambor is in this, and his facial hair is amazing.
Do No Harm stars Steven Pasquale (from "Rescue Me") as a neurosurgeon with a kind of Dr. Jekyl/Mr. Hyde syndrome, in which he turns into a sociopathic sex hound at night. The show would be more promising on Starz, where they could really take advantage of his nymphomania. On NBC, I'm not as sold.
The New Normal is like "Three's Company" with two gay dudes, and Chrissy is a surrogate mother for them. Justin Bartha (The Hangover) is one of the gay dudes, and based on the clip alone, I give it 6 episodes before it's canceled.
Save Me stars Anne Heche is some sort of reborn religious nut who thinks she's a prophet. It has no laugh track, which is about all it has going for it.
Chicago Fire is the latest from Dick Wolf. It's got chiseled guys with no shirts and treacly sentimental music.
Guys with Kids comes from Jimmy Fallon, and it's about three 30-something Dads (including Anthony Anderson) trying to hang on to their youth while raising babies. I lost interest the second I heard the laugh track.
Tempestt Bledsoe ("The Cosby Show") unfortunately does not help matters. At all.
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Kind of shocked Dustin put three shows after the one he said would only get six episodes. Oh wait, it’s NBC
Yep, Animal Practice is easily the most promising. Tyler Labine was great on Reaper.
1600 Penn might be good. I don’t care for Jenna Elfman, but Josh Gadd and President Bill Pullman cancel her out.
Tyler Labine was great on Reaper.
Until they did that creepy-as-fuck storyline with him and his Japanese stepsister. I’m pretty sure that even Tyler was sickened by that mess.
Ugh, that was indeed awful. But I don’t blame him for that, and at least they seemed to realize how awful it was and wrote it out.
The idea of Jenna Elfman as a First Lady in the White House gives me the kind of existential panic that only an Elfman can cause.
I’m actually more excited about 1600 Penn rather than Animal Practice, just because of Josh Gad. But Animal Practice looks pretty promising.
Give some love to J-Kirk, too.
I suck at prognosticating. Based upon the promotional clip ABC released I figured Once Upon A Time would be cancelled after 3 episodes. Upon viewing I found the show to be quite entertaining, and apparently a few million people agreed.
Also, I’m not sold on New Normal, but Andrew Rannells is like an adorable yellow lab puppy that sings show tunes, so maybe.
Looks like it’ll be on for 6 episodes, which means this show will go on for 8 years.
Wow- I’m surprised how much I don’t hate the frist seven of these. I look forward to getting completely invested in Revolution and then NBC replacing it mid-season with America’s Fattest Dance Voice Idol Star.
I am gonna troll the FUCK outta that show.
I laugh every time I see a synopsis of Revolution and it mentions that there is no energy. Even with my grade school level of comprehension regarding science I understand what a completely retarded premise that is.
Oh electricity doesn’t work anymore well how the fuck is your brain functioning? The whole thing looks horrible.
So the Amish live without electricity and do just fine, we lose electricity and Chicago gets covered in vines. Makes sense.
That premise is both scientifically ridiculous and socially insulting. So facebook goes out and the world collapses? And what caused this collapse? Even the nastiest solar storm/EMP isn’t going to change the laws that govern electron movement. Stupidest show ever.
But it had VAST in the preview clip, so I’m going to watch.
I’m just glad that the apocalypse won’t entail doing without new clothing and a steady supply of Morpheus sunglasses.
In terms of post-apocalyptic, overgrown city type entertainment, I’m pretty sure Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us has that wrapped up already… and that won’t even release for another year.
Also, even my dumbass could make a goddamn battery out of nothing but bleach, some foil, copper wiring, and a paper towel.
wow. both of the male leads from Book of Mormon got shows on NBC this season.
the one where the fat one is the presidents son or whatever looks watchable, the skinny one with the surrogate mom and the unfunny hangover guy (who was also the kid from Gigli) looks unwatchable.
Monkey riding remote control ambulance….. SOLD!
I’m in.
So the monkey’s name is Dr. Zaius? Where’s Troy McClure when you need him!
Could “Go On” BE any weaker?
Zach Cregger deserves better
The New Normal is about two gay guys and a surrogate mother? I dunno. How long will the show go on before it starts to feel dragged out? Does surrogacy usually take very long to do?
I don’t know. Revolution seems to have sidestepped Terra Nova’s main problem of dumb wiener kids. I give it a better shot at surviving longer than Terra Nova did.
I think all of these look fucking terrible except for Revolution which will probably be good for 6 episodes then have a WTF moment and be terrible after that
Just want to fix something that is misreported in 95% of the reports – Abrams didn’t create the show. It isn’t his show. He just put his name on the opening credits and left to have a big nice dump while playing Angry Birds on his iPhone.
Eric Kripke (Supernatural) wrote the pilot and created the show.
It’s like saying that Spielberg created ER, Smash, Falling Skies, Terra Nova, The River…
So, you fill up at the gas station and then your car stops working? Laws of physics? Once you get past the premise, it might work. But that is one stupid premise.
Do No Harm should get the PTA up in arms. Especially when he has a one night stand with a girl and never calls her back! Or we see half a boob. Won’t someone please think of the children…
Is Go On a half hour sitcom, or will it be a daramedy in the vein of Parenthood?
Because if it is the latter, there is some real potential there.