New for the 2019-2020 TV Season
As the Great TV Bloodbath fizzles for another year and news on emerging pilots for the upcoming fall season appear, there is a lot to be excited about. Is it hard to let go of shows you might have loved? Of course, it is, but here at So Many Shows, we focus on giving new shows a chance too. So, these are some of my picks to be on the lookout for in the 2019-2020 season. (Broken down by broadcast network…) Let’s start with:
ABC
Emergence
Developed by Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas, Emergence is a mystery-thriller that follows Jo, a police chief in Long Island who takes in an orphaned girl, Piper after a plane crash. Piper has no memory of the crash and Jo assumes she is an orphan, but this quickly becomes more complicated.
From the trailer, this show looks like one of the most promising of the upcoming season. It left me with fear and curiosity, wondering what exactly happened on that plane to cause the spiral of events that follow. Jo, portrayed by Allison Tolman, looks like she’ll have her hands filled. It is also interesting to note that this show was ordered to pilot by NBC but was picked up by ABC instead. There is a lack of good thrillers on TV right now. Is this what America is looking for?
My Grade: A-
This show has the potential to be great but could also easily fail without good writing.
The Baker and the Beauty
Dean Georgaris fans unite! Fans of The Brave have struck gold this TV season. Dean has not one, but two shows coming to our screens this fall. Baker and the Beauty will be the American adaptation of the hit Israeli show, a romantic comedy following the lives of Daniel Garcia (Victor Rasuk) and Noa Hollander (Nathalie Kelley) who meet in Miami, Florida. While a trailer has yet to be released, fans of romantic comedies will surely love this show!
My Grade: B+/A-
As we have yet to see a trailer, it would not be fair to make a full decision on it as of yet. My assumption would be this would become an A almost immediately. (I may be a little biased because of Georgaris.)
United We Fall
One of the shows with the least known on it thus far in the upcoming season, United We Fall is brought to us by the minds of Dave Polsky and Julius Sharpe. It follows a young family that allows their judgy grandmother to move in with them. There is no trailer or even a full detailed summary on the show as of yet, but it struck my interest because the title seems so far from the idea. Sitcoms are hard to introduce in today’s culture and fan viewership. I’m interested, but with several already high marketed comedies coming the same year, ABC should look toward introducing more information about this show soon.
My Grade: C+??
Not enough information, though the title and concept seem interesting.
CBS
Broke
This show particularly caught my interest when I saw it starred Pauley Perrette in a comedy role. Broke follows Perrette as a single mother who finds herself hosting her estranged sister and brother-in-law when they no longer have access to the rich and famous lifestyle they were used to. I was excited to see her in this role; this is a completely different character than what many of us know her as.
If I’m being honest? The trailer sucked. There is absolutely no chemistry between the characters, the humor is subpar at best and it does nothing for the concept whatsoever. Is part of it because we’re all expecting the spunky and eccentric Abby to appear? Sure. But… it doesn’t address all of it. Will I give the show a fair chance in the fall? Sure, probably. After all, trailers can be terrible for a show and may not reflect it. For her sake, I sure hope so.
My Grade: C-
Only because I am a fan of Pauley and I want to see her succeed.
Evil
A new horror genre show? Where do I sign up? The show follows a psychologist who does not believe in the supernatural world and that people are just criminally insane. When she’s introduced to a priest that tells her otherwise, the two pair up to see if a man is insane or perhaps something more sinister is to blame.
Overall? I liked the trailer. It made me nervous and a little jumpy, as any good horror trailer should. It sets up a storyline with promise for lots of scares. I have two major comments otherwise.
Can a show make this sort of fear last? Movies that focus on the paranormal usually have two hours. Assuming this show gets at least ten episodes, that is about 3 to 4 times that. I often like the premise of horror shows, but they usually fizzle fast. It’s rare that a show can hold onto that.
And second… there is a scene in the trailer where the protagonist is dreaming and sees something… and it reminds me of Jeepers Creepers. It’s too short to really make a fair judgment, so I’m hoping it looks better in the episode.
My Grade: B
Interesting premise. The show itself will be the deciding factor if its worth the long haul in viewership.
FBI: Most Wanted
This one I’ll keep brief, as I’ve already detailed a full review to the show’s backdoor pilot. Click here if you’d like to read my thoughts on that. This show follows the success of FBI and talks about, you guessed it, Most Wanted criminals in the FBI. I question the longevity of this show. How many episodes can they fairly give it? Most Wanted criminals aren’t put onto the list every day.
Either this show will have to focus on other areas than cases (and then what’s the point), or it will depict an inaccurate account of what these teams probably do in real life. And, because I think it is important to note: the lead character’s background is overdone and boring. I know Dick Wolf’s shows are procedural, but this may become a snoozer. Also, the network used the actual backdoor pilot as its trailer. Do we really not get any new content?
My Grade: D
It better rock my socks off this fall, or it’s destined for the 2020 graveyard.
Tommy
This show I only checked out because of the name, and because I assumed unfairly it was a comedy. It is not a show I’d usually go for, but I have to say I’m intrigued. The series follows Abigail “Tommy” Thomas, the first female police chief for the LAPD and how she handles her new role. It’s hard to garner what the show will focus on other than “Tommy” as each case surely has officers under her and the trailer did not mention too many other characters. Regardless, in a world where men dominate many fields, the introduction of this story seems to come at a fitting time.
My Grade: B
I’m intrigued, but I would like to see the full pilot before making more judgments.
The Unicorn
Any fan of the Brave and its fandom knows that I was curious when CBS announced a show called the Unicorn coming this fall. Unfortunately, it is not a series on how amazing Dean Georgaris is, but a comedy focused on a widowed father getting back into the dating world. The trailer shows him as a hot commodity or as his friend put it, a unicorn that women would love to be with. Starring Walton Goggins (The Shield, Justified, SIX), the show looks to have promise in a sea of upcoming comedies both for its unique name and a great leading man. As someone who is pickier when it comes to comedies, this may just be one I have to check out.
My Grade: A-
Unicorns, y0.
FOX
Prodigal Son
Starring Michael Sheen and Tom Payne, this show follows a young and fired profiler from the FBI, the son of the famous serial killer (Sheen) “The Surgeon”. The trailer revealed that his father has a copycat years later and the police have asked Malcolm Bright (Tom Payne) for his assistance in catching him. This show intrigues me for the profiling aspect.
I’m a huge fan of Criminal Minds and I love the idea of a serial killer’s son being the one to try to catch his copycat. I also am a big fan of Payne and am looking forward to him in a new role using his charm in a different light than before. This show has the potential to be great, but it also has the potential to fall down a very particular and stereotypical storyline, which I hope it doesn’t. Overall, it shows great promise.
My Grade: B+
I really like the concept, but I worry it might become stereotypical.
911: Lone Star
911 has been a huge success on FOX (granted, I tried it and I was not a fan), but I’m curious to how this spin-off will do for the series as a whole. Is it set in Texas? I would assume so and while there hasn’t been much information released yet, it is the chance for the showrunners to make that leap into the multi-show universe zone, perhaps taking the competition to the many verses of Dick Wolf.
My Grade: B/C??
Hard to say, there isn’t much to go off of…
NBC
Bluff City Law
Arguably the show I am most excited for this fall. I recently sat down with a man who has spent the better half of his life as a lawyer, working still in his 90s for a multigenerational family law firm he created. Seeing the trailer for this show only days later, I was pumped. Of course, this is the second show hitting screens the next TV season by Dean Georgaris and it looks amazing. Set in Memphis Tennessee, starring Jimmy Smits (a legend himself) as Elijah Straits and Caitlin McGee as Sydney Keller, it follows the father-daughter pairing as lawyers who tackle civil rights cases.
Of all the trailers I’ve watched, this one truly garnered my full attention and was action packed and emotion-driven from start to finish. I immediately connected with the female lead and could understand her urge to change the world. (Can someone please gif Sydney Keller’s scream? I need that for my own use.) With a fantastic trailer to start it off, this show is my pick for best show of the upcoming fall season.
My Grade: A+
Freakin Awesomesauce.
Indebted
The only reason this show is on my list is that it listed Fran Drescher as one of the leads. There is yet to be a trailer, but the show focuses on parents with a potentially empty nest ready to start a new chapter of their lives, only for that to be shattered by the husband’s parents moving in. My main question is: is Fran playing the mother? That could be hilarious.
My Grade: ??
Another hard to say. Name value will be what puts it on the map, but is the content good?
Sunny Side
Created by and also starring Kal Penn, the show follows a former NYC councilman who is thrust back into the political landscape in a different area when immigrants seek his help obtaining the American Dream. I’m interested in this show for two reasons. First, because Penn was on House and I am a huge fan of that show. Second, because Penn was also in the House for some time and was heavily involved in politics. So, this means two things: we know he can act, and we know he understands politics.
Have we seen him in a comedy role? Not necessarily, but as someone who just completed a political internship herself, I’m hoping his experience and humor is something that not only me, but everyone can appreciate. The trailer? It was humorous and pokes fun at what is otherwise a very heated and serious topic right now. I think it looks like a fun way to show what America truly is: a diverse, melting pot and what better way to do that than in NYC?
My Grade: A-
I’m looking forward to what it has to offer!
What are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below!
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