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2013 Midseason TV preview & schedule: FOX

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As the holiday season approaches, many of your favorite shows go on hiatus so you can spend time with your loved ones. Most will return to the airwaves in early January and with them comes some new programming–some of which are worth checking out. In this year’s midseason TV preview posts, I will recommend which new shows are worth watching as well as offer schedules provided by the networks themselves. Midseason is on the horizon; out your calendars and let’s do this thing!

This midseason FOX is adding six series to its schedule, two of which include a new drama and a new comedy. The buzziest new midseason drama is The Following, a psychological thriller from Kevin Williamson (The Vampire Diaries, Scream) starring Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy. When a serial killer (Purefoy) escapes from death row, he embarks on a new killing spree and forms a cult of believers and a former FBI agent (Bacon) is tasked with putting a stop to the madness. Bacon’s character has a unique connection to Purefoy’s–he is the one who was responsible for locking him up before in 2003. Critics who have seen the pilot describe it as a terrifying thrill ride. Some say it’s the scariest pilot ever aired on network TV. We’ll see how it compares to the likes of cable offerings such as American Horror Story and The Walking Dead when The Following premieres Monday, January 21 at 9PM. Watch an extended trailer after the break.

The new FOX comedy waiting to enter the fold is The Goodwin Games from the executive producers of How I Met Your Mother Carter Bays, Craig Thomas, and Chris Harris starring Scott Foley, Becki Newton, Felisha Terrell, and Melissa Tang. The wacky single camera sitcom follows three estranged siblings forced to reconnect after their father’s death while competing against each other to inherit his vast fortune. Now because FOX’s Tuesday night comedy lineup is packed with shows that all received back orders this fall (namely Raising Hope, Ben And Kate, New Girl, The Mindy Project), the network has not decided when it will add The Goodwin Games into the mix. Since Ben And Kate has the smallest episode count this season at 19, FOX will likely replace it with The Goodwin Games after its finale airs. Speaking of episode count, FOX cut Games‘ original 13 episode order to 7, also due to there being little wiggle room in the schedule. With the HIMYM auspices behind it, I wouldn’t count it out just yet. When a premiere date is announced, you’ll know it.

My recommendation: Do not miss The Following. If you’ve only got room for one new drama, this is it. And even if you don’t, make room. And whenever The Goodwin Games airs, I’d say give it a go. Though if it doesn’t perform well out of the gate, it probably won’t last long.

Shows that are returning to FOX’s schedule include Tim Kring’s Touch starring Kiefer Sutherland, David Mazouz, and Mario Bello (premiering Friday, February 8 at 8PM), American Idol is back with a new judges panel including Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, and Keith Urban (Wednesday, January 16 at 8PM), Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen, and Cops.

Jump after the break to view the full schedule.

Look in the gallery below for key art (aka TV promotional posters).

Continue reading 2013 Midseason TV preview & schedule: FOX →

2013 Midseason TV preview & schedule: ABC

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As the holiday season approaches, many of your favorite shows go on hiatus so you can spend time with your loved ones. Most will return to the airwaves in early January and with them comes some new programming–some of which are worth checking out. In this year’s midseason TV preview posts, I will recommend which new shows are worth watching as well as offer schedules provided by the networks themselves. Midseason is on the horizon; out your calendars and let’s do this thing!

This midseason ABC is adding eight series to its schedule, six of which include two new dramas, comedies, and reality shows. The network’s two freshmen drama series both look intriguing. First there’s Zero Hour, a conspiracy thriller executive produced and written by Paul T. Scheuring (Prison Break) starring Anthony Edwards, Scott Michael Foster, Michael Nyqvist, Jacinda Barrett, Addison Timlin, and Carmen Ejogo. The plot involves a treasure map, deciphering symbols, saving humanity. Though the Declaration of Indepenence isn’t at stake here, Zero Hour sure sounds like its borrowing a bit from National Treasure. Whether or not this is a good thing… The trailer, posted after the break, comes off as more corny than cool but for all you conspiracy theorists out there this is one worth checking out. Zero Hour premieres Thursday, February 14 at 8PM.

Next up is Red Widow. It’s from creator Melissa Rosenberg (Dexter, the Twilight saga) and stars Radha Mitchell, a stay-at-home mom who gets tangled up in a bloody and dangerous tale involving her husband’s death, organized crime, and the criminal underworld. Though it might sound complicated, the trailer (posted after the break) is quite good and it looks like Mitchell will find herself on a distinct yet similar path to Emily Van Camp’s over on ABC’s soap Revenge. Red Widow premieres Sunday, March 3 at 9PM.

A new comedy starring Sarah Chalke has a very long title: How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life). It’s about a recently divorced single mom (Chalke) who moves back in with her parents (Elizabeth Perkins and Brad Garrett). It premieres Wednesday, April 3 at 9:30PM.

The other new comedy is Family Tools, a show based on the British sitcom White Van Man from Adrian Poynton. It stars the very funny Kyle Bornheimer, J.K. Simmons, and Leah Remini and it follows the mishaps of what happens when you mix family with business. It premieres Wednesday, May 1 at 8PM. Due to scheduling concerns, the show’s original 13 episode order was reduced to 10.

If you’re into reality shows, ABC has a cooking competition show The Taste and Celebrity Diving on tap. They premiere Tuesday, January 22 at 8PM and Tuesday, March 26 at 9PM, respectively.

My recommendation: Definitely check out Red Widow and give Zero Hour a try. In terms of new comedy, I’d take Family Tools over How To Live With Your Parents, but maybe that’s just because I’m a big supporter of Bornheimer (Perfect Couples) and J.K. Simmons.

Shows that are returning to ABC’s schedule include Body of Proof (premiering Tuesday, February 5 at 10PM) and Dancing with the Stars (Monday, March 18 at 8PM).

Jump after the break to view the full schedule. Continue reading 2013 Midseason TV preview & schedule: ABC →

2013 Midseason TV preview & schedule: NBC

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As the holiday season approaches, many of your favorite shows go on hiatus so you can spend time with your loved ones. Most will return to the airwaves in early January and with them comes some new programming–some of which are worth checking out. In this year’s midseason TV preview posts, I will recommend which new shows are worth watching as well as offer schedules provided by the networks themselves. Midseason is on the horizon; out your calendars and let’s do this thing!

This midseason NBC is adding thirteen series to its schedule, three of which include two new dramas, a comedy, and a reality series. Though the four of them combined do not carry the same amount of buzz that FOX’s The Following is getting, you still might want to tune into them as their premises are tantalizing enough. Do No Harm, from executive producer David Schulner (The Event) stars Steven Pasquale as a respected neurosurgeon with a deep, dark secret–every night at the same hour, something inside [Pasquale’s] changes, leaving him almost unrecognizable – seductive, devious, borderline sociopathic. Some are calling it a modern day tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. To me it sounds sort of like the premise of NBC’s promising but cancelled series Awake. Do No Harm premieres Thursday, January 31 at 10PM, the same night 30 Rock airs its series finale. Watch a trailer after the break.

The other new drama coming to the Peacock is Deception (formally called Infamous). It hails from Liz Heldens (Prime Suspect, Friday Night Lights) and stars Meagan Good, Victor Garber, Tate Donovan, Katherine LaNasa, and Laz Alonso. It’s a soap wrapped in a family murder mystery and it premieres Monday, January 7 at 8PM. Trailer after the break.

NBC’s latest sitcom 1600 Penn follows a typical American family who just happen to live in the White House. Actor Josh Gad stars, and he also co-created the show with Jon Lovett. Jason Weiner (Modern Family) directed the pilot. It also stars Bill Pullman and Jenna Elfman. It premieres Thursday, January 10 at 9:30PM. Trailer after the break.

The new reality series Ready for Love is a “relationship show about making real connections” from executive producer Eva Longoria. It premieres Sunday, March 31 at 8PM.

My recommendation: Skip Deception (unless you want another soap on your schedule–but Revenge already fills that void magnificently) and try out Do No Harm and 1600 Penn. Take note, however, that Do No Harm is in the Thursday at 10PM timeslot and that’s a very tough place on the sked to achieve success.

Shows that are returning to NBC’s schedule include The Biggest Loser (premiering Sunday, January 6 at 9PM), Betty White’s Off Their Rockers (Tuesday, January 8 at 8PM), Smash (Tuesday, February 5 at 9PM), Community (Thursday, February 7 at 8PM), The Celebrity Apprentice (Sunday, March 3 at 9PM), Fashion Star (Friday, March 8 at 8PM), Grimm (Friday, March 8 at 9PM), The Voice (Monday, March 25 at 8PM), and Revolution (Monday, March 25 at 10PM).

Jump after the break to view the full schedule. (NBC isn’t providing a tidy midseason schedule so we’ll have to do with what we got.)

Look in the gallery below for key art (aka TV promotional posters).

Continue reading 2013 Midseason TV preview & schedule: NBC →

2013 Midseason TV preview & schedule: CBS

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As the holiday season approaches, many of your favorite shows go on hiatus so you can spend time with your loved ones. Most will return to the airwaves in early January and with them comes some new programming–some of which are worth checking out. In this year’s midseason TV preview posts, I will recommend which new shows are worth watching as well as offer schedules provided by the networks themselves. Midseason is on the horizon; out your calendars and let’s do this thing!

This midseason CBS is adding four series to its schedule. The Eye typically doesn’t do much tweaking this time of year. Its two biggest moves are filling in the voids left by cancelled comedy Partners and drama Made in Jersey. Rules of Engagement returns for its seventh season on Monday, February 4 at 8:30PM. New drama Golden Boy, from exec producers Greg Berlanti and Nicholas Wootton, follows the rise of an ambitious cop (played by Theo James) who is destined to become the youngest police commissioner in New York City history; Chi McBride plays his detective mentor. CBS is airing two “special previews” of the show on Tuesday, February 26 and March 5 at 10PM before it lands in its regular Friday night at 9PM slot. Update (12/20): Also coming midseason to CBS is a new Mark Burnett business-themed reality competition series The Job; it premieres Friday, February 8 at 8PM.

My recommendation: Unless you’re super into CBS’ typical slate of cop procedurals (read: Blue Bloods), I wouldn’t consider Golden Boy a must-see new program next year.

Shows that are returning to CBS’ schedule include the 26th edition of Survivor and the 22nd edition of The Amazing Race which premiere Wednesday, February 13 at 8PM and Sunday, February 17 at 8PM, respectively. CBS is still waiting to schedule midseason comedy Friend Me whose co-creator Alan Kirschenbaum passed away this year.

Jump after the break to view the full schedule. Continue reading 2013 Midseason TV preview & schedule: CBS →

2013 Midseason TV preview & schedule: The CW

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As the holiday season approaches, many of your favorite shows go on hiatus so you can spend time with your loved ones. Most will return to the airwaves in early January and with them comes some new programming–some of which are worth checking out. In this year’s midseason TV preview posts, I will recommend which new shows are worth watching as well as offer schedules provided by the networks themselves. Midseason is on the horizon; out your calendars and let’s do this thing!

This midseason The CW is adding two new series to its schedule: mystery Cult and Sex and the City prequel The Carrie Diaries. Cult follows an investigative journalist (played by Matt Davis) who teams with a research assistant (Jessica Lucas) to find his brother and unravel the mystery behind the TV series called “Cult” whose hardcore fans would literally kill to see what happens next. It also stars Alona Tal and Robert Knepper. It premieres Tuesday, February 19 at 9PM.

The Carrie Diaries is all about Carrie Bradshaw before she met Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda. Nineteen-year-old AnnaSophia Robb plays young Carrie and the show takes place in the ’80s so you can expect the glitz and glam from that exciting era. It premieres Monday, January 14 at 8PM.

My recommendation: It’s always hard for me to recommend anyone to invest their time in a show that airs on The CW. (The last time I did was for Ringer and how did that turn out? Not good.) Not that the network’s programming is particularly bad all the time; it just caters to a very young audience mostly. As much as I want Cult to be a fun, exciting, and suspenseful mystery, after watching a preview it just doesn’t reach me. It grabs and pulls at the things I really like to see in a drama, but it contains the glaze that most CW dramas have (it comes off as bizarre and corny, honestly) and it’s hard for me to tell you to invest your time in such an intriguing mess. I tried Ringer, I really did, but the pilot was too horrendous for me to ever get hooked. Cult, unfortunately, might follow the same fate. The Carrie Diaries, however, is easier to recommend because it sits in the shadow of one of the most successful shows of all time (HBO’s Sex and the City). Obviously the prequel can’t be as edgy and risque, but if the preview has anything to offer its that young Carrie isn’t so different from her future self. This show opens up the world of Carrie Bradshaw to a whole new generation of girls and likely they’ll bite. And if you’re older with kids and remember the wild adventures of Carrie and company, perhaps The Carrie Diaries is a new guilty pleasure for you.

Jump after the break to watch previews for both shows.

Look in the gallery below for key art (aka TV promotional posters).

Continue reading 2013 Midseason TV preview & schedule: The CW →

FOX bumps ‘Touch’ to January

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Sour news, Touch fans. You’re going to have to wait a bit longer for the return of Martin Bohm and his gifted son Jake. Today FOX made a schedule adjustment, removing Touch from its fall lineup and replacing it with Kitchen Nightmares. Gordon Ramsay’s show will premiere Friday, October 26 at 8PM and Touch is being benched until midseason. The network has yet to decide where exactly on the schedule Touch will resume; all we know is that it returns for a second season in January 2013. Hopefully that bonus episode has the power to hold you over until then.

[Via TVLine]

This week in NEW TV: ‘The Firm’ & ‘House of Lies’

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Last year I posted my Midseason TV Preview. This time around I’m breaking that idea in pieces with a new kind of post called This week in NEW TV. Essentially they will serve as expanded versions of my usual TV Reminders. These posts will crop up through January and February as new TV shows premiere this winter. I will recommend new, buzz-worthy shows for you to watch. If you want a broader overview of all the new series airing on the big four networks, check out 2011-12 Upfronts coverage.

::SUNDAY::

The Firm — NBC — 9PM

NBC’s latest drama The Firm is based on the 1991 John Grisham novel of the same name. The show continues the story of attorney Mitchell McDeere and his family 10 years after the events of the book and film. (In 1993 Tom Cruise stared in an adaptation of the legal thriller.) On TV Josh Lucas (The Lincoln Lawyer) plays McDeere and it’s his intention to “homage Tom Cruise’s performance” from the movie rather than mimic it. The modern day McDeere will see that his past (as laid out in the movie) will come to haunt him. A brief summary: As a young associate, McDeere brought down the prestigious Memphis law firm of Bendini, Lambert & Locke, which operated as a front for the Chicago mob — and his life was never the same. After a difficult decade, which included a stay in the Federal Witness Protection program, Mitch and his family now emerge from isolation to reclaim their lives and their future — only to find that past dangers are still lurking and new threats are everywhere. It’s certainty not necessary for viewers to have seen the movie or read the book before watching the TV series, but those who are fans of the previous works should be anticipating this return to the trials and tribulations of Mitchell McDeere. Though I don’t exactly have the highest of hopes for it, I will be giving this legal drama a try. I do believe that next month’s Smash has a better chance at lifting the Peacock’s spirits out of the gutter. The 2-hour pilot airs tonight at 9PM and The Firm lands in its regular Thursday 10PM slot next week.

House of Lies — Showtime — 10PM

Here is another show premiering that is based on a book: Martin Kihn’s House of Lies: How Management Consultants Steal Your Watch and Then Tell You the Time. Shortened for obvious reasons, House of Lies is a dirty sexy black comedy set in the world of corporate management consulting and it follows a team of cut-throat business people who are willing to go extremes to make deals happen. Movie star Don Cheadle transitions to TV in the lead role, and he is surrounded by a cast of incredibly funny people. Veronica Mars’ Kristen Bell returns to TV at long last (her stint on Heroes was OK, I guess) and Ben Schwartz has brought his infectious sense of humor with him from Parks and Recreation. Josh Lawson, Dawn Olivieri (Heroes) and Richard Schiff (The West Wing) are also involved. It’s on Showtime so you know what that means: profanity will fly and nudity will define itself. The premise and cast alone, however, should draw you to at least watch the pilot.

[Images via IGN 1, 2]

FOX announces 2012 midseason schedule

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FOX’s 2012 midseason schedule is out, and now we know when some of the most anticipated series of the season will debut. J.J. Abrams’ Alcatraz premieres as a two-hour pilot on Monday January 16 and the following week it will settle into its regular Monday night 9PM timeslot following House (which moves to 8PM when Terra Nova ends its 13-episode order). Alcatraz will have a 13-episode run and then Kiefer Sutherland returns to occupy his 24 timeslot with Touch on March 19. Note that FOX plans to air a “special preview” of Touch on Wednesday January 25 at 9PM following an episode of American Idol. When Glee goes on hiatus, FOX will air a slightly altered comedy block on Tuesday nights beginning March 6. The back-from-the-dead Christian Slater comedy Breaking In will air at 8:30PM, sandwiched between an encore and a new episode of New Girl; Raising Hope closes the night at 9:30PM. American Idol returns Wednesday January 18 at 8PM and will be paired with new reality series Mobbed for a spell. Beginning February 15 the singing competition will dominate FOX’s two-hour block Wednesday nights. Bones spinoff The Finder premieres Thursday January 12 at 9PM and the following week it will settle in its regular Thursday 9PM timeslot following American Idol. The latest addition to FOX’s animation domination is Napoleon Dynamite and that premieres in between The Simpsons and Family Guy (Allen Gregory‘s current slot) on Sunday January 15 at 8:30PM. Bob’s Burgers returns for a second season in that same slot on March 11. Bones returns in the spring (after a short fall run ending on January 12), along with new episodes of Glee and new comedy I Hate My Teenage Daughter. Last, Fringe and Kitchen Nightmares resume Friday January 13.

Jump after the break to see the premiere dates, and click here to preview all the new shows. Continue reading FOX announces 2012 midseason schedule →

CBS announces 2012 midseason schedule

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Unlike the other big networks, CBS typically doesn’t add many new programs to its lineup and shuffle them around for midseason. And this year is no different for the Eye. Only two major announcements here: The new half-hour comedy Rob (formally titled ¡Rob!) premieres Thursday January 12 at 8:30PM; it takes over for Rules of Engagement which CBS promises will return with new episodes in the spring. Rob stars Rob Schneider as a bachelor who marries into a tight-knit Mexican family. The second change is the comeback of Undercover Boss. The reality series will replace The Amazing Race in the Sunday night 8PM slot. CBS also says the reality competition series will return for another season later in 2012. Cop drama The 2-2 (recently renamed NYC 22) has yet to be scheduled. And that’s it.

After the break you’ll find the new Thursday and Sunday CBS lineups mapped out. Continue reading CBS announces 2012 midseason schedule →

ABC announces 2012 midseason schedule

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Shortly after NBC announced its 2012 midseason schedule, ABC followed and did the same. The alphabet network’s schedule, however, isn’t entirely complete. First let’s start with what’s there. Crossing-dressing comedy Work It will replace Man Up! in the Tuesday 8:30PM slot to be paired with Tim Allen’s new sitcom Last Man Standing. A game of musical chairs will be played in the Tuesday 9PM-10PM slot. In January Celebrity Wife Swap returns and will occupy that hour until Oren Peli’s thriller The River premieres in February. That will have a limited 8-episode run and end in late March. That same month Dancing with the Stars comes back and the results show will take over the hour. With Charlie’s Angels dead and gone, Winter Wipeout will have no trouble fitting in on Thursdays at 8PM and another reality show Shark Tank will move Fridays at 8PM. Wipeout‘s spell won’t last long; in March Missing, a new drama starring Ashley Judd, will take over. And finally there’s GCB, formally known as Good Christian Bitches and Good Christian Belles. The soap will air in Pam Am‘s current position at Sundays at 10PM. What this means for Pan Am‘s future is still unknown. And now we can discuss what’s missing: the buzzy Don’t Trust The  B**** In Apt. 23, Shonda Rhimes’ Scandal, and Cougar Town (it’s being reported that the Courtney Cox comedy is being reduced from 22 to 15 episodes this season). ABC likely won’t wait long to schedule this shows with spring premiere dates, so make sure check back here soon.

Jump after the break to see the premiere dates, and click here to preview all the new shows. Continue reading ABC announces 2012 midseason schedule →

NBC announces 2012 midseason schedule

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This week NBC announced its 2012 midseason schedule. New programs coming to the Peacock network include Smash, Fashion Star, Are You There, Chelsea? (formally titled Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me Chelsea), and The Firm. Returning shows include The Voice, 30 Rock, Who Do You Think You Are?, and The Celebrity Apprentice. Significant scheduling changes… Sitcoms Whitney and Up All Night are swapping places (the former will air Wednesdays at 8PM and the latter Thursdays at 9:30PM); Harry’s Law moves to Sundays at 8PM; The Firm will replace Prime Suspect in the Thursday 10PM slot; and 30 Rock will assume Community‘s 8PM-8:30PM timeslot. And here’s some troubling news: NBC has pulled Community from the midseason schedule entirely; it’s nowhere to be found. Even if the network is thinking about cancelling the low-rated but critically adored comedy, season 3 will play out since it was granted a full season order already; we just don’t know when the rest of the episodes will air. Perhaps it will reenter the fold in the spring to take the place of a low-rated program, or maybe the network plans to air it in the summer. Fans are being vocal about this, so I’m sure NBC will come out and speak on the news sooner rather than later. Also MIA is Awake, the highly anticipated sci-fi drama starring Jason Isaacs. The plan was for this show to air in midseason, but recently the show halted production to work on the scripts. Is NBC now saving it for the fall 2012 season? At this time we still don’t know.

Jump after the break to view the full schedule, and click here to preview all the new shows. Continue reading NBC announces 2012 midseason schedule →

FOX officially picks up Tim Kring’s ‘Touch’

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We all knew it was going to happen, but now it’s official: FOX has picked up Touch, a new series from creator Tim Kring (Heroes) and starring Kiefer Sutherland (24), to series for a midseason debut. The network has ordered a 13-episode arc expected to premiere in the spring of 2012.

Fox prez Kevin Reilly on the pickup: “Touch is another ambitious series from Tim Kring that is beautifully executed and has incredibly resonant themes for our times. With Kiefer back on the network as the face and force behind this creative new series, I’m confident it will resonate with viewers this spring.”

Adds Sutherland: “Every once in a while, you encounter a piece of material that you just cannot say no to. That, combined with the opportunity to work again with Peter Chernin and the Fox studio and network, makes me thrilled to be a part of this project. I also look forward to working with an extraordinary writer and producer like Tim Kring.”

Need to be reminded of what Touch is all about? The latest press release describes it like this: “Touch is a distinct and colorful drama in which science and spirituality intersect with the hopeful premise that we are all interconnected, tied in invisible ways to those whose lives we are destined to alter and impact.” Hop after the break to read a juicier plot description. Touch stars Sutherland, David Mazouz, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Danny Glover. Kring, Francis Lawrence (Water for Elephants, I Am Legend), Peter Chernin, Katherine Pope, Sutherland, Suzan Bymel, and Carol Barbee serve as executive producers; Lawrence helmed the pilot.

[Via Deadline] Continue reading FOX officially picks up Tim Kring’s ‘Touch’ →