I love premiere season. I mean, back to school season is my absolute favorite, and the fact that it is immediately followed by premiere season is very, very nice. Basically the whole month of September is pretty good... I just realized I have a favorite month. Who knew!
Anyways. As a Comm major and someone who enjoys stories and appreciates excellent writing, premiere season is the best. All the new shows are coming out and all the writers are on their best behavior. You're not entirely sure what to expect from this new crop of comedies and dramas, so the world is full of possibility. Your new favorite could be airing tonight! Plus, all the old favs are coming back and answering those cliffhangers you've been waiting for all summer.
Another perk of premiere season-- it signals the end of three months of "reality shows," which you and the TV execs knew were just filler until the regular season started up again. Ew, reality shows {although American Ninja Warrior... they're my exception}.
So in an attempt to calm my excitement for premiere season, or at least contain it so I don't sound crazy analyzing new shows to random strangers, I've decided to compile a list of shows I watched and share my opinion on whether they're worth tuning in for this season. Obvs, I'm no expert {besides pilot season, I usually only watch, like, two shows}, but yesyes, here are some thoughts:
{In no particular order}:
A to Z {NBC, 9:30pm PST Thursdays}: So adorbs. The two main characters fall under the "quirky/cute" category, it seems "clean" so far {aka no swearing, no sketchy jokes, no iffy behavior}, and I even kind of like the narrating voice over. I made Steph watch it. And we decided it was our new Jane By Design. And then I made Stephen watch it. And he was like, "ehhh." And I said we couldn't be friends anymore.
Selfie {ABC, 8pm PST Tuesdays}: I like that it's based off Pygmalion/My Fair Lady. And that it's got an Asian as a main character. A main character who isn't completely stereotyped, is ridiculously annoying, or is secretly a sidekick to the "real main character." As a secret-tech-dinosaur with a past of marketing internships, I thought the use of social media in this show was amusing. A little over the top, but the premise is good. We'll see if this survives the first cut though, because ABC has a tendency to cancel first, think later. ):
Forever {ABC, 10pm PST Tuesdays}: It's like a combination of amateur Sherlock Holmes with Pushing Daisies' quirk and the hidden identity secret-keeping of a superhero. I like it. If you've watched season one of Castle, you'll recognize the start of some good banter and camaraderie between the two main characters, so much so that it feels a little deja vu {but this IS also an ABC production, so I guess they're allowed to copy themselves}. The flashback scenes aren't too jarring and there is some hilarious writing going on {explaining the death of the guy with an ax in his forehead}, so overall, it's worth a shot if you're looking to get into a new show. Between this and Agents of Shield and Gotham though, be forewarned about seeing a LOT of 1945 flashbacks.
Big Bang Theory {CBS, 8pm PST Mondays}: I suppose the writers were walking that fine line between having Sheldon change too much after his "epic journey" across the US and not having him change at all. They erred on the side of "not changing enough" though. Even if he did stay within the confines of the train stations the entire time. The premiere was alright-- not my favorite episode ever, but it was okay. There's a difference between "laughing because it was truly hilarious" and "laughing because I know I'm supposed to laugh at this part" and I tended to fall into the latter category during this one. Still, the show is generally consistent, so we shall see how the season progresses.
Modern Family {ABC, 9pm PST Wednesdays}: Everybody's back to normal. It's like the summer break never happened. Although Luke has seriously been getting taller these last few seasons. Shoot.
Agents of SHIELD {ABC, 9pm PST Tuesdays}: Not bad, not bad. Decently smooth introduction to the new characters {except that black guy who had lines, but was never really introduced or explained (not Triplett; there's a new guy). WHO IS HE. TELL US MORE} and the new bad guys. I'm a little afraid they're going to focus too much time and effort on the new Material Absorption Guy when there are SO many other bad guys out there, but his power is pretty cool, so it does understandably warrant more than one episode. Ward's a bit creeper now, isn't he... but yay, Skye, for learning from May and kicking butt! May I take lessons from May, too, please? There were several moments that had me a teeeeensy bit teary during this premiere, which is GOODGOODGOOD in terms of the show and its writers, so way to go, guys! Gahhh, Fitz/Simmons. Why you hurt me so? ):
Once Upon a Time {ABC, 9pm PST Sundays}: The inclusion of FIVE characters from Frozen this season with no costume/plot changes whatsoever had me raising eyebrows back when it was announced earlier this year. I wasn't a fan of that idea. So I went into this season premiere skeptical and apprehensive. And after the hour... *wrinkles nose* I'm not sure all my fears were assuaged. The entire episode revolved around Elsa, didn't introduce a whole lot of mystery or new storylines, and didn't further any of the current storylines we've got going on with the regular main characters. So. Not impressed, guys. Last season's starter was so much better. I'll still be watching, but if it doesn't improve soon... Disney needs to learn to stop oversaturating the market with their latest moneymaker. Seriously. {If this is any indication of what OUAT is becoming, I fully expect Star Wars to take over Storybrooke next season after Episode VII comes out}.
Scorpion {CBS, 9pm PST Mondays}: I was a little skeptical at first, since the idea of a group of socially awkward smart people consulting with the government to take down bad guys has been tried and tried and tried again. But I rather like this bunch. They need time to solidify as a team because the chemistry isn't quiiite there yet, but the show has some great quoteable lines and I like Katherine McPhee and the guy who plays Walter {main character}. The pilot's climax moments indeed had my pulse speeding up a little, which is how you know you're starting to get into the show. Biggest O.o moment though: Who the heck named the Asian mechanic chick "Happy"? What in the world...
NCIS: New Orleans {CBS, 9pm PST Tuesdays}: At first I was like, "Really? Another one? Turning into CSI, are we?" But I do love NCIS: LA and don't mind NCIS: The Original, so okay, let's give this a try. And truly, the pilot wasn't bad. Admittedly, I still haven't figured out what each character is "about" yet {you know how characters normally fall into categories, so you know where they're coming from? like, he's the nerdy/tech guy, or she's the female investigator with a tough exterior and a squishy inside, or whatever. they haven't pinned down what they want their cast to "be" yet. but for now, it still worked}. I like Scott Bacula {Pride? King? Dwayne? What IS his name, guys?}, even if his drawl reminded me of Jack Hanna, and their HQ kitchen is quite the awesome. You know a show based in NOLA has to have good music and good food, and this pilot included both. I liked the descriptions of all the different neighborhoods in New Orleans. It's like trying to describe areas of San Francisco to a non-native-- hilarious, but fascinating. Questions to answer in subsequent episodes though: where are the people in the NCIS NOLA HQ? Are our main characters the only ones occupying the place? Cause that's a huge warehouse for three people.
Gotham {FOX, 8pm PST Mondays}: I missed the first few minutes, but was surprisingly pulled into the story almost immediately anyways. I'm not the biggest Batman fan {never seen any of the movies, including the latest ones, and if asked to list my fav superheroes... well, let's just say Batman wouldn't make the top... twenty?}, so my interest in this show was rather unexpected. I do love a good prequel with lots of foreshadowing and backstory though, and this definitely references ALL. THE. BATMAN. THINGS. In just this pilot episode alone, we met Catwoman, Poison Ivy, the Penguin, the Riddler, and possibly the Joker. And if I can ID these people with very little knowledge of the Batman-verse, can you imagine all the references true Batman fans caught? Goodness. This show is kind of dark and there is violence, but it's not super graphic {a la your average crime scene shows} and a lot of it is done tongue-in-cheek because the audience is well aware all this is happening in Gotham and not real world. I think you can get away with more when your location is an imaginary place. Some excellent one-liners and the casting/acting is pretty impressive. I like it. Now whether I can stick it out for the season is yet to be determined. If it gets darker and more violent, I'll probably be out. We'll see!
--
I'll try to update this as more shows have their fall premiere, but these were the ones that aired before I pressed Publish. Hope this helped in your decision of what to watch tonight! (:
Selfie {ABC, 8pm PST Tuesdays}: I like that it's based off Pygmalion/My Fair Lady. And that it's got an Asian as a main character. A main character who isn't completely stereotyped, is ridiculously annoying, or is secretly a sidekick to the "real main character." As a secret-tech-dinosaur with a past of marketing internships, I thought the use of social media in this show was amusing. A little over the top, but the premise is good. We'll see if this survives the first cut though, because ABC has a tendency to cancel first, think later. ):
Forever {ABC, 10pm PST Tuesdays}: It's like a combination of amateur Sherlock Holmes with Pushing Daisies' quirk and the hidden identity secret-keeping of a superhero. I like it. If you've watched season one of Castle, you'll recognize the start of some good banter and camaraderie between the two main characters, so much so that it feels a little deja vu {but this IS also an ABC production, so I guess they're allowed to copy themselves}. The flashback scenes aren't too jarring and there is some hilarious writing going on {explaining the death of the guy with an ax in his forehead}, so overall, it's worth a shot if you're looking to get into a new show. Between this and Agents of Shield and Gotham though, be forewarned about seeing a LOT of 1945 flashbacks.
Big Bang Theory {CBS, 8pm PST Mondays}: I suppose the writers were walking that fine line between having Sheldon change too much after his "epic journey" across the US and not having him change at all. They erred on the side of "not changing enough" though. Even if he did stay within the confines of the train stations the entire time. The premiere was alright-- not my favorite episode ever, but it was okay. There's a difference between "laughing because it was truly hilarious" and "laughing because I know I'm supposed to laugh at this part" and I tended to fall into the latter category during this one. Still, the show is generally consistent, so we shall see how the season progresses.
Modern Family {ABC, 9pm PST Wednesdays}: Everybody's back to normal. It's like the summer break never happened. Although Luke has seriously been getting taller these last few seasons. Shoot.
Agents of SHIELD {ABC, 9pm PST Tuesdays}: Not bad, not bad. Decently smooth introduction to the new characters {except that black guy who had lines, but was never really introduced or explained (not Triplett; there's a new guy). WHO IS HE. TELL US MORE} and the new bad guys. I'm a little afraid they're going to focus too much time and effort on the new Material Absorption Guy when there are SO many other bad guys out there, but his power is pretty cool, so it does understandably warrant more than one episode. Ward's a bit creeper now, isn't he... but yay, Skye, for learning from May and kicking butt! May I take lessons from May, too, please? There were several moments that had me a teeeeensy bit teary during this premiere, which is GOODGOODGOOD in terms of the show and its writers, so way to go, guys! Gahhh, Fitz/Simmons. Why you hurt me so? ):
Once Upon a Time {ABC, 9pm PST Sundays}: The inclusion of FIVE characters from Frozen this season with no costume/plot changes whatsoever had me raising eyebrows back when it was announced earlier this year. I wasn't a fan of that idea. So I went into this season premiere skeptical and apprehensive. And after the hour... *wrinkles nose* I'm not sure all my fears were assuaged. The entire episode revolved around Elsa, didn't introduce a whole lot of mystery or new storylines, and didn't further any of the current storylines we've got going on with the regular main characters. So. Not impressed, guys. Last season's starter was so much better. I'll still be watching, but if it doesn't improve soon... Disney needs to learn to stop oversaturating the market with their latest moneymaker. Seriously. {If this is any indication of what OUAT is becoming, I fully expect Star Wars to take over Storybrooke next season after Episode VII comes out}.
Scorpion {CBS, 9pm PST Mondays}: I was a little skeptical at first, since the idea of a group of socially awkward smart people consulting with the government to take down bad guys has been tried and tried and tried again. But I rather like this bunch. They need time to solidify as a team because the chemistry isn't quiiite there yet, but the show has some great quoteable lines and I like Katherine McPhee and the guy who plays Walter {main character}. The pilot's climax moments indeed had my pulse speeding up a little, which is how you know you're starting to get into the show. Biggest O.o moment though: Who the heck named the Asian mechanic chick "Happy"? What in the world...
NCIS: New Orleans {CBS, 9pm PST Tuesdays}: At first I was like, "Really? Another one? Turning into CSI, are we?" But I do love NCIS: LA and don't mind NCIS: The Original, so okay, let's give this a try. And truly, the pilot wasn't bad. Admittedly, I still haven't figured out what each character is "about" yet {you know how characters normally fall into categories, so you know where they're coming from? like, he's the nerdy/tech guy, or she's the female investigator with a tough exterior and a squishy inside, or whatever. they haven't pinned down what they want their cast to "be" yet. but for now, it still worked}. I like Scott Bacula {Pride? King? Dwayne? What IS his name, guys?}, even if his drawl reminded me of Jack Hanna, and their HQ kitchen is quite the awesome. You know a show based in NOLA has to have good music and good food, and this pilot included both. I liked the descriptions of all the different neighborhoods in New Orleans. It's like trying to describe areas of San Francisco to a non-native-- hilarious, but fascinating. Questions to answer in subsequent episodes though: where are the people in the NCIS NOLA HQ? Are our main characters the only ones occupying the place? Cause that's a huge warehouse for three people.
Gotham {FOX, 8pm PST Mondays}: I missed the first few minutes, but was surprisingly pulled into the story almost immediately anyways. I'm not the biggest Batman fan {never seen any of the movies, including the latest ones, and if asked to list my fav superheroes... well, let's just say Batman wouldn't make the top... twenty?}, so my interest in this show was rather unexpected. I do love a good prequel with lots of foreshadowing and backstory though, and this definitely references ALL. THE. BATMAN. THINGS. In just this pilot episode alone, we met Catwoman, Poison Ivy, the Penguin, the Riddler, and possibly the Joker. And if I can ID these people with very little knowledge of the Batman-verse, can you imagine all the references true Batman fans caught? Goodness. This show is kind of dark and there is violence, but it's not super graphic {a la your average crime scene shows} and a lot of it is done tongue-in-cheek because the audience is well aware all this is happening in Gotham and not real world. I think you can get away with more when your location is an imaginary place. Some excellent one-liners and the casting/acting is pretty impressive. I like it. Now whether I can stick it out for the season is yet to be determined. If it gets darker and more violent, I'll probably be out. We'll see!
--
I'll try to update this as more shows have their fall premiere, but these were the ones that aired before I pressed Publish. Hope this helped in your decision of what to watch tonight! (:
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