I always try to watch the pilot of every new fall show. I don’t get around to every show, and by midseason, honestly the advertising is hit and miss as to when a show premieres. There were shows dropping last season, like Ransom, that i had no idea existed until they were a few episodes deep. But the fall season is so heavily touted that the premieres are hard to miss. That being said, there might be some midseason shows on my list, but these are the top 10 shows that I’m most excited for, followed by the five I’m least excited for, and then five pilots that should have been picked up.
THE BEST:
1) The Gifted- I’m SO FUCKING EXCITED FOR THIS SHOW. I’m a huge fan of the X-Men franchise, and this series isn’t “creating new X-Men”, or trying to pull an Agents Of Shield and show people working around the X-Men. No, Wolverine isn’t in this, but we do have B-list X-Men like Blink and Thunderbird, and that’s enough for me. I know who those heroes are, and I’m excited to see them get a weekly TV series. There are so many X-Men in the comics that there was always enough to grab some B-listers for their own show, and I’m glad it’s finally happening.
2) The Crossing- I love me some good old post-apocalyptic fun. If this is good, it has so much potential to have me hooked into actually watching this week by week, instead of in binge watch chunks. The only drama that managed to do that for me last season was Designated Survivor, but I’m hopeful that The Crossing will be able to pull me in. Steve Zahn is a good lead, and he’s deserved a breakout hit now for a while. My only concern is that it is a midseason drama, and it might get lost in the shuffle.
3) Rise- Josh Radnor toplines a new drama about a high school drama teacher whose program changes the lives of his students, and the town around him. There isn’t currently a show like this on TV, so I’m enjoying the change of scenery as well as the talented supporting cast, including Moana’s Auli’i Cravalho and Rosie Perez.
4) Ghosted- The trailer had a few good laughs, but I’m thinking long-term here. Craig Robinson and Adam Scott are two great picks to lead a new FOX sitcom, that I’m positive I’ll love just as much as I do Brooklyn Nine Nine and The Last Man On Earth.
5) The Good Doctor- Hot off his Bates Motel turn, Freddie Highmore returns as a savant/autistic doctor, and I thought the trailer was quite good. It’s from the people who made House, so the pedigree is there. I have high hoped for this ABC drama.
6) The Orville- Seth Macfarlane is launching a Star Trek spoof, and I’m on board. With Star Trek Discovery launching on CBS All Access, it seems like a good time to spoof the franchise.
7) The Resident- FOX’s new medical drama is taking a different twist. It turns out that not all doctors are good, and there might be a battle between good doctors and bad doctors. Plus, the cast is really good, with Emily Van Camp, Matt Czuchry, and Bruce Greenwood in the mix.
8) The Gospel Of Kevin- Jason Ritter toplines an interesting new drama about a man who is deeply depressed, before he’s visited by an angel who tasks him with saving the world. I’ve heard good things about the pilot, and I’m looking forward to this.
9) AP Bio- Patton Oswalt and Glenn Howerton topline this NBC sitcom about a jaded professor who ends up teaching at a high school. It’s not the premise that grabbed me so much as Oswalt, who has deserved his own sitcom now for quite sometime. In my eyes, he’s one of the best stand up comics, and has earned his “legend” card already, so it’s odd that he hasn’t had his own Louie-esque show to prop his brand on. I’m hoping for the best here, as Oswalt has earned it.
10) Will and Grace- Yes, I’m excited for this reboot. I’m not really sure how I feel about the Roseanne reboot, but I do know I’ll be watching the return of Will and Grace.
THE WORST:
1) Dynasty- I remember the Melrose Place and 90210 reboots. Neither were very good. I don’t trust that The CW will be able to do anything with Dynasty. The franchise is so old, most of the young people watching won’t even know its a reboot/remake anyway.
2) Young Sheldon- I’m going to get a lot of hate for this, I assume, but I’m not really sure that this was the Big Bang Theory spinoff we deserve. I could be wrong, but I feel like there are other avenues we could have gone down, and instead we went down this road. Jim Parsons has done such an excellent job creating an iconic character, that I feel like this show is just going to pale in comparison to what he does on a weekly basis. They would have been better off doing a Wil Wheaton spinoff, IMO, or introducing a new character and then backdoor spinning them off into their own show.
3) Valor- The CW launching a military drama? I mean, I know military dramas are all the rage right now, but on The CW? I dunno. I don’t trust them with this material, and I think it’s probably going to suck.
4) Deception- Yes, it’s from Greg Berlanti, so I should have more faith, but this feels old school. Remember when we had a bunch of “regular joes with specific abilities helping to solve crime” shows? There was The Mentalist, Unforgettable, Psych, etc. It feels like that genre died with Castle as the last great show in that sub-genre. Deception feels a little too late to the party, and I’m just no longer interested.
5) The Brave- There are almost too many military drama’s premiering this fall, and this is the one I’m least interested in.
PILOTS THAT SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN MISSED
1) Household Name- I thought for sure that ABC was going to jump at the chance to return Carol Burnett to prime time. I was excited to see her back, as she is an immensely talented actress. However, this show has not been picked up. I’m hearing it’s not 100% dead either, so I’m hoping ABC hears my cry (they won’t, I know) and gives this show an episode order.
2) Bluegrass- ABC also had a drama I was looking forward to, from Marc Cherry, and starring Reba McIntyre. It felt very “on brand” for ABC, and I don’t know why it wasn’t given an order. They pulled the same shit with Devious Maids, which ran successfully for a few seasons on Lifetime. Hopefully Bluegrass finds a new home as well. Perhaps on CMT, now that they’re airing Nashville?
3) Mission Control- CBS does’t have any new dramas I’m excited for, but they did have a pilot I was excited for… and they ignored it. Mission Control would have charted new territory as a NASA drama, with a talented cast including Peyton List and David Giuntoli. I don’t know why this wasn’t picked up.
4) Linda From HR- I wanted to see Lauren Graham back in action with this FOX sitcom, but alas. However, I’m also hearing this pilot isn’t 100% dead yet either.
5) The Sackett Sisters- Casey Wilson, Busy Phillips, and Bradley Whitford. I was on board. Unfortunately, NBC wasn’t.
