And a third question… has there ever been a season where no new shows were renewed? And if that unlikely event has never happened, what season can boast the fewest pickups? Because here we are, two months into the new TV season and some of the new stuff is absolutely appalling.
The Playboy Club, H8R, Free Agents, How to Be a Gentleman, and Charlie’s Angels have already been killed. Allen Gregory is apparently absolute shit (what a shock after the commercials, huh?) and is likely next.
Even some of the stuff that got full season pickups (Whitney, Ringer, Up All Night, Suburgatory, Terra Nova) aren’t getting very good ratings or reviews and might not make it back for season 2.
About the only bona fide hits are 2 Broke Girls, Revenge, and Unforgettable.
Am I just being overly harsh? Or can somebody find me a season that was worse?
Let’s see, last year’s fall major network premieres, cancelled shows in red:
September 15 Outlaw NBC [260]
September 20 Chase NBC [263]
September 20 Lone Star Fox [264]
September 20 Hawaii Five-0 CBS [265]
September 20 Mike and Molly CBS [265]
September 20 The Event NBC [266]
September 21 Raising Hope Fox [264]
September 21 Running Wilde Fox [264]
September 21 Detroit 1-8-7 ABC [267]
September 22 Better with You ABC [267]
September 22 The Whole Truth ABC [267]
September 22 The Defenders CBS [265]
September 22 Undercovers NBC [268]
September 23 My Generation ABC [267]
September 23 $#*! My Dad Says CBS [265]
September 24 Outsourced NBC [266]
September 24 Blue Bloods CBS [265]
September 28 No Ordinary Family ABC [267]
September 29 Law & Order: Los Angeles NBC [63]
(I may be wrong on some of those ABC shows, I rarely watch that channel.)
I watched the pilot. I didn’t love it, but there’s some potential there, even if said potential is just that it’s a Fox animation show that isn’t Seth MacFarlane.
I agree with The Onions A.V. Club review, specifically in Todd VanDerWerff’s comment: “Allen Gregory is trying a bunch of interesting things, but succeeding at very few of them. If it can get a handle on all of its many tones, it could be a very good show.”
There’s a spark of potential. I’ll give this show another episode or two to sell me. FWIW, I hated, HATED Parks & Rec after the first two shows of the first season, dropped it, saw a mid-season 2 show, realized it was great, and became a convert. Comedies take at least a few episodes to gel.
I’ll trade Hart of Dixie for Prime Suspect (I haven’t check PS out yet), and add Grimm and The Secret Circle to my “like” pile, and toss out Ringer all together. I like more new shows than usual this year, all told.
Secret Circle
Once Upon A Time
American Horror Story
Terra Nova
I will say that American Horror Story seems to be picking up steam and might get into my like pile if things keep up…
Terra Nova started on my like pile (I liked the concept, but some of the execution was off) and has slowly dropped to my fence pile on it’s way to the turd heap.
After last night’s episode, Terra Nova (which I so much wanted to like) has moved to my turd heap pile. I gave that show more leeway than just about any other, but it failed at everything.
I don’t think I watched anything new last year, but there are quite a few shows this year that I enjoy or have potential:
Suburgatory
American Horror Story
The New Girl
Up All Night (I like Maya Rudolph, but I don’t think the show is quite there yet)
2 Broke Girls (sort of)
Once Upon a Time (maybe)
Suburgatory is quite nice. 2 broke girls is bound to be a cult classic.
Sure, there’s no big blockbuster like BSG or LOST in the pile, only Terra Nova tries, and I couldn’t be bothered to watch the second episode. That aside, it’s an okay season.
liked Grimm and will continue to watch at least for now, watch Ringer because of SMG, Revenge is great fun, and i’m still watching Person of Interest.
Haven’t seen any of those other shows mentioned upthread, but then i generally don’t like comedies, or the concept is too out there for my taste, like Once Upon a Time and Terra Nova. there’s plenty of stuff on BBCA to compensate.
The major let downs I had were The Event and Falling Skies, both had elements that I enjoy, that I will make an effort to overlook such things like bad acting or poor special effects.
Falling Skies in particular, it was post apocalyptic, had aliens ruling the world, and had gun fights.
Hm…
Come to think of it, V also let me down… That one had the additional factor that I liked the original 1980’s miniseries…
I was watching Prime Suspect and finding it reasonably entertaining, not fantastic. But I missed the most recent episode because my DVR, for whatever reason, recorded a different show. And I honestly felt a little relieved to have a little bit less on my TV plate. I probably need to do a better job of cutting shows loose.
The show started interesting, then went completely off the tracks after about episode 4. Multi-episode plots that went nowhere (secret Muslim “kidnapping” group, I’m looking at you), dozens of gaping plot holes, some really bad writing and fuck, does it always need to be raining?
By the last episode, and I had been following the show, critical review and forum posts all season (mostly on The A.V. Club), critics and viewers alike were furious and disgusted.
I’ll just say - this show probably made me angrier (at how sloppy, cheap and poor it was) than most others. I was angry when it got renewed, especially since the much better show Rubicon (which started a bit slow and rough, admitted, but got pretty good by the end) got the axe.