# The new TV season **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 5, 2011, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season/595311 "2011-09-05T22:14:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season/595311/101 "2011-09-10T07:24:55Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > Terra Nova has cancel written all over it. There have been shows like this every few years since I was a kid. Big budget sci-fi, if it doesn’t pull in big ratings it will die a quick death. I’m predicting _Terra Nova_ will have a lifespan somewhere between _Flash Forward_ and _Jericho_. I’m not getting invested in it. > [@](#): > > Whitney actually looks ok to me, not sure what is bugging most everyone else. For me, it’s how hard we’re being cajoled into believing that Whitney Cummings is the smartest, funniest, most talented pretty girl since the last smartest, funniest most talented pretty girl. (Chelsea Whatshermouth with that godawful late night E! show maybe, or going back in time a bit, Jenny “Vaccinations are the Devil!” McCarthy.) She doesn’t just get a sitcom of her own with a nondescript leading man and no apparent premise whatsoever, she created another show that’s on another network! And boy, doesn’t _2 Broke Girls_ look like a ball of laughs. Fish out of water, rags to riches (inverted), odd couple, opposites attract, tomboy and girly girl, two chicks in a kitchen, framily, this thing is every page on TV Tropes and then some. Whee! I love me some Kat Denning but no, just no. I’m looking forward, though, to _Unforgettable_ which promises to be just as tropey, but has Marilu Henner as a consultant. Because she has the “can’t forget anything” condition that the lead character does, which, who knew? Should be interesting. ---
**Author:** ![TheonX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ed8c4c/32.png) [@TheonX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheonX)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season/595311/102 "2011-09-10T08:13:36Z")
RE Awake I love the trailer too, but have heard nothing but bad things about it from those who have seen more. And their criticism makes sense - it is too much of police procedural show. This might be one of those shows that would be great as a movie, mini series, or a two season 10 episode cable show. But right now there is every incentive in the world to try to stretch it for 5 years at 22 episodes a year. The easiest way to do that is to focus on the crime of the week, and have a few minutes of “meta plot” advancement thrown in at the end. Definitely a mid season replacement too, which doesn’t give me any more confidence. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season/595311/103 "2011-09-10T13:43:21Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > The Onion AV Club has posted its two-part preview of new shows [here](http://www.avclub.com/articles/ah-screw-it-heres-a-bunch-of-shows-the-av-clubs-20,61296/) and [here](http://www.avclub.com/articles/ah-screw-it-heres-a-bunch-of-shows-the-av-clubs-20,61377/2/). Those are great, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season/595311/104 "2011-09-11T00:28:06Z")
> [@TheonX](#): > > RE Awake > > I love the trailer too, but have heard nothing but bad things about it from those who have seen more. And their criticism makes sense - it is too much of police procedural show. > > This might be one of those shows that would be great as a movie, mini series, or a two season 10 episode cable show. But right now there is every incentive in the world to try to stretch it for 5 years at 22 episodes a year. The easiest way to do that is to focus on the crime of the week, and have a few minutes of “meta plot” advancement thrown in at the end. > > Definitely a mid season replacement too, which doesn’t give me any more confidence. Ahh, damn. I was hoping that on top of the two realities he’s forced to alternate between either his son or wife surviving the crash, that the only way to solve the crime is because of the ripple-effect two different individuals have on a much larger scheme. I found the idea intriguing that he can obtain clues to a crime that he wouldn’t have been able to find in the other reality, and vice versa, thereby solving a crime otherwise impossible. Or something. It’d be very difficult screenwriting, but both the son/wife aspect and the differing crimes make for a very interesting premise. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2011, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season/595311/105 "2011-09-13T01:38:12Z")
Here is what TV Guide has to say about this season’s new shows. Basically, 17 are bad and 8 are at least OK. [From this article on Aint it Cool.](http://www.aintitcool.com/node/51171) > [@](#): > > What Roush says: > > 1. CHARLIE’S ANGELS (ABC): “noisy misfire” > 2. FREE AGENTS (NBC): “toxic” > 3. A GIFTED MAN (CBS): “schmaltzy” > 4. GRIMM (NBC): “muddled, mopey” > 5. H8R (CW): “insipid” > 6. HART OF DIXIE (CW): “patronizingly phony” > 7. HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN (CBS): “cringeworthy” > 8. I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER (Fox): “shrill” > 9. LAST MAN STANDING (ABC): “hammy retread” > 10. MAN UP! (ABC): “charmless” > 11. ONCE UPON A TIME (ABC): “convoluted and campy” > 12. THE PLAYBOY CLUB (NBC): “dreary pastiche” > 13. REVENGE (ABC): “overwritten, contrived” > 14. THE SECRET CIRCLE (CW): “the magic is missing” > 15. TERRA NOVA (Fox): “clunky writing” > 16. UNFORGETTABLE (CBS): “[un]memorable storytelling” > 17. WHITNEY: “abrasively kooky” > > That leaves eight shows with which Roush seems at least OK: > > 1. PERSON OF INTEREST (CBS)\* “I’m hooked” > 2. 2 BROKE GIRLS (CBS)\*: “tasty” > 3. UP ALL NIGHT (NBC)\*: “refreshingly grown-up” > 4. NEW GIRL (Fox): “irresistible” > 5. PAN AM (ABC): “infectiously glossy” > 6. PRIME SUSPECT (NBC): “solid” > 7. RINGER (CW): “juicy” > 8. SUBURGATORY (ABC): “broadly amusing” > \*also in Entertainment Weekly’s “top five” However, Herc at Aintitcool(who loves Buffy), says Ringer was not very good at all. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season/595311/106 "2011-09-14T19:53:09Z")
Not coming _this_ season but not worth a new thread. Maybe. Or maybe one[in the Pit](http://www.hollywood.com/news/Sherlock_Holmes_Series_Headed_for_CBS/7838549)? > [@](#): > > The latest Sherlock Holmes update to hit the big screen didn’t do too badly (nor, presumably, will its sequel, A Game of Shadows, this December), so why not give a modern version a chance on TV? “Done!” says CBS. > > The in-development series – described, just a tad vaguely, as a modern take on the Arthur Conan Doyle-created detective series – is being written by Rob Doherty, who will produce along with Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly. What a novel idea! How original! Sherlock Holmes in the modern day! On TV! Notice how the article fails to mention the BBC _Sherlock_–that most excellent show that we’re eagerly awaiting. On PBS next May, on BBC “early” next year. And the US networks wonder why we don’t care… ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season/595311/107 "2011-09-14T22:57:47Z")
Saw the New Girl pilot on OnDemand last night, it was funny enough that I’ll check out the series when it starts. ---
**Author:** ![Dustin\_Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Dustin\_Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dustin_Jake)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season/595311/108 "2011-09-15T01:28:19Z")
I’m a Glee fan, but I gotta say… I thought the story quality went way down last season. I was glad to hear that they finally hired more writers. Hopefully it will get back to season 1 status. As for other shows, I cannot wait for the new “How I Met Your Mother” season - it’s one of my favorite shows. “Modern Family” will, no doubt, continue to be hilarious, and I might check out ‘X Factor.’ ---
**Author:** ![Kyrie\_Eleison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kyrie_eleison/32/7682_2.png) [@Kyrie\_Eleison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyrie_Eleison)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season/595311/109 "2011-09-15T05:38:05Z")
So, in addition to being the thread for speculation on the upcoming season, is this also going to be thread for reaction to exposure to the initial episodes? I set my TiVo to record new series, and this is what I’ve gotten so far: **Ringer** : The first half-hour had me skeptical. The boat scene, during transit, actually had me laughing. I haven’t seen such poor verisimilitude since _Toonces, the Driving Cat_. But the pilot developed a bit in soapy plot toward the end, and I’ll probably give it some pilot-jitters credit and check out the next episode. **H8ers** : That’s what I need, a show containing shallow reality-show meta-analysis. Pass. **Up all night** : Meh. Not bad. Not good. Bet is that it will be a _Raymond_ sort of show, not great, but not offensively stupid. **Free Agents** : My favorite of the lot. Kind of _Office_ meets I’m not sure what. It’s a “what if _Office_ focused more on Pam and Jim, and Pam and Jim were a lot more fucked up?” ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season/595311/110 "2011-09-15T06:16:26Z")
I loved Prime Suspect with Helen Mirren, but in the commercials for the new one, all I see is THE HAT, so I dont know if I will be watching that. I’m looking forward to The Middle, Community, NCIS, Glee, Good Wife, and 30 Rock for returning shows. I will eatch the Mentalist even though throughout it the lead character annoys me. I get hooked on the story and want to see how it ends. New show? New Girl or whatever it’s called. Reality show? DWTS and Amazing Race, even though I end up talking to the TV during them. And I’m not saying nice things to the contestants. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season/595311/111 "2011-09-15T06:39:45Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Saw the New Girl pilot on OnDemand last night, it was funny enough that I’ll check out the series when it starts. I saw the pilot for free on itunes and I loved the show. But, I’m enamored by Zoey Deschanel, so that’d explain it. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season/595311/112 "2011-09-15T20:48:32Z")
> [@Kyrie\_Eleison](#): > > **Up all night** : Meh. Not bad. Not good. Bet is that it will be a _Raymond_ sort of show, not great, but not offensively stupid. My reaction, too. I hate the “stupid husband/father” meme in commercials and on TV so hopefully they don’t continue with that, even though it was a minor part of an otherwise OK show. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season/595311/113 "2011-09-15T21:01:39Z")
> [@Kyrie\_Eleison](#): > > **Free Agents** : My favorite of the lot. Kind of _Office_ meets I’m not sure what. It’s a “what if _Office_ focused more on Pam and Jim, and Pam and Jim were a lot more fucked up?” That’s an interesting comparison, because Free Agents, like The Office, is based on a UK show of the same name. BBC America is going to air the original version in a month or two so we can compare them. I think Anthony Stewart Head is in both versions. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season/595311/114 "2011-09-15T22:07:04Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Forgot my favorite drama! :smack: _Criminal Minds_. Me, too! And the characters they kicked off are back, at least for a while. I just couldn’t accept the new blonde. Garcia is starting to get annoying to me, though. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season/595311/115 "2011-09-16T00:08:29Z")
So, of shows so far: **Ringer** - is bad, but not guilty pleasure bad. Early cancellation. **H8r** - is even worse than the reviews said it would be. It’s a horrible premise all on its own, and then it’s badly executed. **Up All Night** - It wasn’t unpleasant, but it wasn’t really all that funny either. I’ll probably watch again. **Free Agents** - I actively disliked about half of the supporting cast and wanted them off my screen. Also, I’m not sure where it goes from here. I could see this working in a 6 episode, limited run series. But I don’t see enough potential for 22+ episodes. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season/595311/116 "2011-09-16T12:18:28Z")
I liked **Up All Night** except for Maya Rudolph’s character. Will Arnett plays a likable guy, which is a refreshing change from what I’m use to seeing him play. I always thought Christina Applegate was cool, so it’s nice to see her in something I like. I just didn’t think Rudolph added much. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season/595311/117 "2011-09-16T15:39:42Z")
Saw two so far: _Free Agents_ and _Up All Night_. _Free Agents_: This was effectively 1/5th of a sitcom. Borderline laughed 2-3 times. Hank Azaria was good enough, but good enough doesn’t work on prime time network TV. The female lead didn’t add anything. Al Madrigal would be the best of the secondary characters but I think he’s too much of a one note actor. _Up All Night_: Oh my gosh that was bad. As in _Running Wilde_ bad. When will people finally catch on that Will Arnett is not funny? Christina Applegate is miscast again. She’s actually good but rarely given anything good to work with. Maya Rudolph is even worse than Arnett if that’s possible. Ugly, ugly show. Note to producers: There’s this thing called “IMDb” and if you look up your show title and see a bunch of other failed shows with the same title, you’re not being original. And that is most definitely a bad sign. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season/595311/118 "2011-09-16T19:31:00Z")
Watched **Secret Circle**. Really, I think that if I were a 13-year-old, white girl, I might like the show. It’s very keyed in to a very specific demographic. It has almost no cross-demographic appeal. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season/595311/119 "2011-09-16T21:40:58Z")
_Up All Night_. Will Arnett has been married for seven years. He and his wife have been home with their new baby for several months, judging from the look of the infant. Yet the first day he is required to go to the supermarket alone with the baby - he panics and can’t find the “normal cheese.” My hatred of the show, already deep and wide and vast, erupted Etnalike into blind fury. I’ve never understood the love for Will Arnett. He is not funny. Christina Applegate is okay, but not a sitcom lead. Maya Rudolph did a wonderful Oprah. If that were on SNL it would the only skit all year to earn praise. That’s the only nice thing I’ll say about a series I’ll never watch again. _Free Agents_. I thought the writing was terrific. The scene when Hank Azaria recites a list of phony sex positions was as good as anything on _Community_. Better in fact. It reached the level of _Better Off Ted_. I’ll agree that the minor cast reeked (except the British boss, who was pretty funny), but all the attention was on the major characters. That’s something easily fixed in later episodes. A fixable pilot rates way over a pilot that ended with a remote hurdling at the screen with great force. And the critics love _Up All Night_. What can they be watching? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2011, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season/595311/120 "2011-09-17T19:46:22Z")
I had never heard of _Up All Night_, but my wife recorded it for us to watch. God, it was fucking awful. I don’t think i managed more than a smile during the hole thing. The premise and the development are both predictable as hell, and the writing was fucking awful. I understand what you’re saying about Maya Rudolph as Oprah, **Exapno Mapcase** , but i’ve always found Rudolph annoying as hell, so even that didn’t appeal to me. No way this show makes the rotation. My time would be far better spent here on the Dope. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season/595311.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-tv-season/595311.md?page=7)