[Upfront Watch 2014] ABC
May. 13th, 2014 06:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stgbackupBoilerplate: The Upfronts that I write about are for the five main broadcast networks- NBC and FOX (Monday), ABC (Tuesday), CBS (Wednesday), and The CW (Thursday). I don’t bother tracking the cable network Upfronts because I would never be able to stop writing. TBS, USA, HBO, and so forth all have wildly different schedules and more new programming than you can shake a stick at.
ABC has announced their schedule. They've renewed Nashville, Shark Tank, The Bachelor, Dancing With The Stars, and Last Man Standing.
In the Gone Club are Suburgatory, The Assets, Back in the Game, Betrayal, Super Fun Night, The Neighbors, Killer Women, Mixology, Lucky 7, Mind Games, and Once Upon A Time in Wonderland.
I'll miss The Neighbors. When they first announced it two years ago, I thought it was quite ridiculous, but it turned out to be a very funny and engaging show, and guest spots from people like George Takei made it just that much funnier. I also quite liked Super Fun Night, but mostly because I'll watch anything Liza Lapira is in.
Anyway, on with the fall schedule. As always, new shows are in ALL CAPS.
Here's what we know so far about the new shows...
Selfie: A self-obsessed, twentysomething woman (Karen Gillan) is the subject of a viral video made after a humiliating public breakup. When the video makes her an Internet celebrity for all the wrong reasons, she hires a marketing expert named Henry (John Cho) to help restore her image. Steven says: Amy Pond and Harold Lee in a comedy together? This, I gotta see! Plus, Karen is using an American accent, which is always good for a weird time!
Manhattan Love Story: This romantic comedy explores the differences between men and women by highlighting the disparities between what they say and what they really think throughout the course of a relationship, by exposing their unfiltered thoughts." Steven says: This looks mildly entertaining. I need to see more than this little tiny sneak to decide for sure. My gust instinct is to give this one a shot, though.
Forever: Dr. Henry Morgan (Ioan Gruffudd) is New York City's star medical examiner who studies the dead for a reason: He is immortal. With the help of Detective Jo Martinez, the drama will peel back the layers of Henry's long, colorful life through their cases. Steven says: I liked this idea better the last time around, when they called it New Amsterdam.
Black-ish: An upper-middle-class black man struggles to raise his children with a sense of cultural identity despite constant contradictions and obstacles coming from his liberal wife, old-school father (Laurence Fishburne) and his assimilated, color-blind kids. Steven says: This sounds heartwarming and Cosbyish, but I'm not at all interested. A great cast is not sufficient to hook me.
How to Get Away With Murder: A legal thriller about a group of ambitious law students and their brilliant, mysterious criminal defense professor who become entangled in a murder plot that will rock their entire university and change the course of their lives. Steven says: This is a Shonda Rimes joint, so the actual show is guaranteed to be far more interesting than the description suggests. Even so, I'll pass.
Cristela: Sixth-year law student Cristela pushes herself towards her ambitious legal dreams against her traditional Mexican-American family’s wishes. Steven says: This looks like so, so, so many comedies I've seen before. Nothing original here.
ABC has also made some announcements recently about midseason shows.
Fresh Off the Boat: “Eddie is growing up in suburban Orlando, raised by an immigrant father who is obsessed with all things American and an immigrant mother who is often bewildered by white culture. With his father owning and operating an All-American Steakhouse chain, this loving family of FOB (“fresh off the boat”) Taiwanese Americans try to live the American dream while still maintaining their cultural identity and sense of family.” Steven says: This sounds racist to me. The premise is harmless enough, since it's just a standard fish-out-of-water scenario, but the name of the show feels pejorative. Count me out.
American Crime: The personal lives of the players involved in a racially charged trial are examined as their worlds are turned upside-down. Steven says: Meh.
Galavant: Prince Galavant is on a quest for revenge against the king who stole his one true love in this fairy-tale musical. Steven says: A musical? A musical?! I'll give this a shot when it airs, but only because Alan Menken is writing the music. I don't expect this to last more than a few episodes.
Agent Carter: Based on the character from the Captain America movies, this show follows Carter in the years after Cap vanishes, focusing on the early days of S.H.I.E.L.D. Steven says: The Agent Carter short was amazing, and this has huge potential to be a better show than the other S.H.I.E.L.D. show currently on the air.
So to recap, here's my personal viewing schedule so far. It's worth noting that since I'm in Germany, I won't actually be watching them in real time. Here's what I'll be watching in the Fall. Midseason shows aren't indicated here:
MONDAY
8 pm Gotham [FOX]
10 pm The Blacklist [NBC]
10 pm Castle [ABC]
TUESDAY
8 pm SELFIE [ABC]
8:30 pm MANHATTAN LOVE STORY
9 pm Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. [ABC]
WEDNESDAY
10 pm Nashville [ABC]
THURSDAY
9 pm Scandal [ABC]
9:30 pm A to Z [NBC]
FRIDAY
9 pm Grimm [NBC]
10 pm Constantine [NBC]
SUNDAY
8 pm The Simpsons [FOX]
9 pm Family Guy [FOX]
10 pm Revenge [ABC]
More of this tomorrow. Here's the remaining Upfront schedule again-
Wednesday: CBS
Thursday: The CW
ABC has announced their schedule. They've renewed Nashville, Shark Tank, The Bachelor, Dancing With The Stars, and Last Man Standing.
In the Gone Club are Suburgatory, The Assets, Back in the Game, Betrayal, Super Fun Night, The Neighbors, Killer Women, Mixology, Lucky 7, Mind Games, and Once Upon A Time in Wonderland.
I'll miss The Neighbors. When they first announced it two years ago, I thought it was quite ridiculous, but it turned out to be a very funny and engaging show, and guest spots from people like George Takei made it just that much funnier. I also quite liked Super Fun Night, but mostly because I'll watch anything Liza Lapira is in.
Anyway, on with the fall schedule. As always, new shows are in ALL CAPS.
MONDAY
8 pm Dancing with the Stars
10 pm Castle
TUESDAY
8 pm SELFIE
8:30 pm MANHATTAN LOVE STORY
9 pm Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
10 pm FOREVER
WEDNESDAY
8 pm The Middle
8:30 pm The Goldbergs
9 pm Modern Family
9:30 pm BLACK-ISH
10 pm Nashville
THURSDAY
8 pm Grey’s Anatomy
9 pm Scandal
10 pm HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER
FRIDAY
8 pm Last Man Standing
8:30 pm CRISTELA
9 pm Shark Tank
10 pm 20/20
SATURDAY
Saturday Night Football
SUNDAY
7 pm America’s Funniest Home Videos
8 pm Once Upon a Time
9 pm Resurrection
10 pm Revenge
Here's what we know so far about the new shows...
Selfie: A self-obsessed, twentysomething woman (Karen Gillan) is the subject of a viral video made after a humiliating public breakup. When the video makes her an Internet celebrity for all the wrong reasons, she hires a marketing expert named Henry (John Cho) to help restore her image. Steven says: Amy Pond and Harold Lee in a comedy together? This, I gotta see! Plus, Karen is using an American accent, which is always good for a weird time!
Manhattan Love Story: This romantic comedy explores the differences between men and women by highlighting the disparities between what they say and what they really think throughout the course of a relationship, by exposing their unfiltered thoughts." Steven says: This looks mildly entertaining. I need to see more than this little tiny sneak to decide for sure. My gust instinct is to give this one a shot, though.
Forever: Dr. Henry Morgan (Ioan Gruffudd) is New York City's star medical examiner who studies the dead for a reason: He is immortal. With the help of Detective Jo Martinez, the drama will peel back the layers of Henry's long, colorful life through their cases. Steven says: I liked this idea better the last time around, when they called it New Amsterdam.
Black-ish: An upper-middle-class black man struggles to raise his children with a sense of cultural identity despite constant contradictions and obstacles coming from his liberal wife, old-school father (Laurence Fishburne) and his assimilated, color-blind kids. Steven says: This sounds heartwarming and Cosbyish, but I'm not at all interested. A great cast is not sufficient to hook me.
How to Get Away With Murder: A legal thriller about a group of ambitious law students and their brilliant, mysterious criminal defense professor who become entangled in a murder plot that will rock their entire university and change the course of their lives. Steven says: This is a Shonda Rimes joint, so the actual show is guaranteed to be far more interesting than the description suggests. Even so, I'll pass.
Cristela: Sixth-year law student Cristela pushes herself towards her ambitious legal dreams against her traditional Mexican-American family’s wishes. Steven says: This looks like so, so, so many comedies I've seen before. Nothing original here.
ABC has also made some announcements recently about midseason shows.
Fresh Off the Boat: “Eddie is growing up in suburban Orlando, raised by an immigrant father who is obsessed with all things American and an immigrant mother who is often bewildered by white culture. With his father owning and operating an All-American Steakhouse chain, this loving family of FOB (“fresh off the boat”) Taiwanese Americans try to live the American dream while still maintaining their cultural identity and sense of family.” Steven says: This sounds racist to me. The premise is harmless enough, since it's just a standard fish-out-of-water scenario, but the name of the show feels pejorative. Count me out.
American Crime: The personal lives of the players involved in a racially charged trial are examined as their worlds are turned upside-down. Steven says: Meh.
Galavant: Prince Galavant is on a quest for revenge against the king who stole his one true love in this fairy-tale musical. Steven says: A musical? A musical?! I'll give this a shot when it airs, but only because Alan Menken is writing the music. I don't expect this to last more than a few episodes.
Agent Carter: Based on the character from the Captain America movies, this show follows Carter in the years after Cap vanishes, focusing on the early days of S.H.I.E.L.D. Steven says: The Agent Carter short was amazing, and this has huge potential to be a better show than the other S.H.I.E.L.D. show currently on the air.
So to recap, here's my personal viewing schedule so far. It's worth noting that since I'm in Germany, I won't actually be watching them in real time. Here's what I'll be watching in the Fall. Midseason shows aren't indicated here:
MONDAY
8 pm Gotham [FOX]
10 pm The Blacklist [NBC]
10 pm Castle [ABC]
TUESDAY
8 pm SELFIE [ABC]
8:30 pm MANHATTAN LOVE STORY
9 pm Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. [ABC]
WEDNESDAY
10 pm Nashville [ABC]
THURSDAY
9 pm Scandal [ABC]
9:30 pm A to Z [NBC]
FRIDAY
9 pm Grimm [NBC]
10 pm Constantine [NBC]
SUNDAY
8 pm The Simpsons [FOX]
9 pm Family Guy [FOX]
10 pm Revenge [ABC]
More of this tomorrow. Here's the remaining Upfront schedule again-
Wednesday: CBS
Thursday: The CW
