The third presenter at this year’s Upfronts was ABC. Their slate of new shows, evenly distributed between comedy and drama, doesn’t look to take too many risks, but it does have a few interesting bright spots.
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D.
Joss Whedon is executive producer, with Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancheroen as show runners, of this series about the daily lives of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, tying directly into the Marvel films. Any new show from Joss is always a must watch, and combining that with the Marvel universe makes this easily my most anticipated new show this season.
Betrayal
A woman has an affair with a lawyer, who then has to battle a court case against her lawyer husband. Not only does this sound like a painfully soapy take on the courtroom procedural, it also seems like a terribly short sighted premise.
Killer Women
Even though I generally like Tricia Helfer, there is nothing here that makes me think I’d want to watch this series. Walker, Texas Ranger with a female lead, then have that lead have an affair with the DEA agent, since that seems to be ABC’s M.O. this year – all female leads must have affairs. Maybe they think that’s what women empowerment is all about? They repeated that phrase multiple times during today’s presentation, even going so far as to dub Thursdays as “Women Empowerment Thursdays.” They’d better some up with a different definition, because so far the results are decidedly unappealing.
Lucky 7
This is a drama about a group of gas station employees that win the lottery. There are some notable names behind the scenes, so this one could be worth checking out, but ABC’s press release didn’t give any indication of what to expect from a typical episode, so it’s hard to judge at this point.
Mind Games
ABC is going out of its way to emphasize that the psychological manipulation used in this series is real science, but how much truth there is to that will have to wait until the pilot premieres. The show follows a pair of brothers who use this manipulation to fix their clients problems. Depending on how it is handled, this one could actually be a fun and varied series, or it could crash and burn hard.
Once Upon A Time In Wonderland
This spinoff of Once Upon A Time was originally supposed to be a miniseries slotted in-between the fall and winter halves of the original series, but ABC decided to turn it into a full blown series of its own. The original show can be wildly uneven, but this one is being run by Jane Espensen, who I will always tune in for.
Resurrection
Dead residents of a small Missouri town begin returning to life and appearing around the world, decades after their supposed death. There is enough intrigue here to make me want to check it out, but it’s been a while since a broadcast network has been able to create a quality sci-fi show with an ongoing mystery, so keep your expectations at a reasonable level.
Back In The Game
This sounds like the baseball version of The Mighty Ducks, with a divorced mom in the place of Emilio Estevez. It’s early timeslot seems to indicate it’s targeted at a similar audience. If it’s well written and the kids aren’t too grating, it could be fun, but those are both big ifs.
The Goldbergs
I’m a bit of a sucker for anything set in the ‘80s, so this comedy immediately captured my attention. The description for this show reads like the sitcom version of the last big show set in the ‘80s, Freaks and Geeks. That speaks well to the potential quality of the show, but also poorly for it’s longevity prospects, as that show was cancelled after only 13 episodes.
Mixology
The year’s second attempt to recreate Friends, this show centers around a group of friends trying to the recently dumped Tom back into the dating world at a high-end bar. This one could face problems with the likeability of its characters, as they come off in the press release as privileged and spoiled.
Super Fun Night
Written and executive produced by Rebel Wilson, this show follows a group of friends who have always tried to make Friday night the best night ever, while staying home. Now that they’ve grown up, they are forced to actually go out on Fridays, but still attempt to carry on their tradition. Clearly aiming for a New Girl-esque quirkiness, this just doesn’t seem to have much of a draw, from the terrible title to the bland concept. Strong writing could save this one from a quality perspective, but given the clips choosen for the trailer, that doesn't seem likely and I think it will be hard pressed to find viewers.
Trophy Wife
The story of a young woman who becomes her new husband’s third wife and has to deal with his two exes and three children. This one is in the running alongside Ironside as being the first casualty of the season.
That wraps is up for ABC. Come back tomorrow for the last of the major networks, CBS.
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