ABC
Speechless (Wednesday, Sep. 21 at 8:30/7:30c)
Since they axed Minnie Driver’s previous series About A Boy on NBC (still bitter about that one), Driver will be taking on the starring role of May DiMeo who is a “mom on a mission” to make her family happy. Oh, and she’s a force to be reckoned with. Her eldest son, JJ DiMeo (Micah Fowler) has cerebral palsy and Driver’s character is focused on having his voice be heard. I have high hopes for this show. Not only is it it damn Minnie Driver but I love shows that highlight topics that don’t get much spotlight during primetime like this one. The closest show that featured characters with disabilities that I could remember would probably be… Glee?
Designated Survivor (Wednesday, Sep. 21 at 10/9c)
When a lower-level cabinet member Tom Kirkman (Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor Kiefer Sutherland) gets appointed to become the President of the United States due to an attack on the US Capitol, WHAT DOES HE DO? What does anyone do when they don’t see this day coming? Kirkman finds himself balancing his new position with people who doubt him and keeping his family together. I’m expecting a whole lot of dramatic camera angles, dramatic lines and over dramatic prolonged stares into space. Having said that, I’m all for this. Someone tell me know, is this a true thing to have? A designated survivor?
Notorious (Thursday, Sep. 22 at 9/8c)
When you mix “hard hitting journalism” with pleasure, you’re bound to get yourself in trouble. Actress Piper Perabo stars as a TV producer who works closely with defense attorney Jake Gregorian (Daniel Sunjata) in creating the news stories rather than reporting something that happened naturally. Not to bash on this show so early… but you axed Resurrection for this? As much as I like the whole “journalism” plot line, I think I’d sit out on this one.
Conviction (Monday, Oct. 3 at 10/9c)
Kickass actress Hayley Atwell moves away from her role as Peggy Carter to play Hayes Morrison, a young attorney who was a former drug addict but is working on cleaning up her act. Morrison is given the position as head of New York’s new Conviction Integrity Unit to help fix cases where someone was wrongly convicted.
Anything with Hayley Atwell, I’m in. Plus you have an amazing supporting cast: Shawn Ashmore, Emily Kinney, Eddie Cahill and Merrin Dungey. Not sure whether this is a snooze or a winner but I can’t deny the plot line of clearing someone’s name for a crime they didn’t do intrigues me.
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American Housewife (Series Premiere – October 11th @ 8:30/7:30c)
As much I’m so excited to watch this comedy, I’m on edge to see if this will make it past season one. Katy Mixon stars as Katie Otto, a mother of three who is haunted by the “perfect” lives of the other mothers in Westport, Connecticut who seem to be fit, put together and on top of almost everything. Katie is the true American mom who shows the true nitty gritty side of being a mom.
I think the only downfall for this show would be that it doesn’t follow the typical theme of the 30-minute comedy shows ABC is currently airing (ex: Black-ish, Meet the Goldbergs) but that’s not to say Speechless follows the same thread either. I’m interested to see the storylines in each episode and what crazy antics Katy Mixon will go through.
Once Upon a Time (Sunday, Sep. 25 at 8/7c)
After five seasons, it’s safe to say that Once Upon a Time has run the gamut, quality-wise. In the beginning, the show cleverly reimagined fairy tales around a thief-turned-sheriff with an impulsive attitude and a heart of gold. Sure, it had its cheese, but it also had genuinely smart moments. That carried through several seasons, only to begin its slow downward spiral somewhere around the fourth season. With the introduction of split seasons, multiple villains, and too much of a strict commitment to certain properties (Frozen, anyone?), it’s easy to see that Once Upon a Time had spread itself a bit too thin–something that is probably going to carry over into season six.
When we last saw everyone in Storybrooke, the gang had successfully returned from Hell with Hook in tow and Hades defeated. Of course, villains don’t stay away for too long. Our friendly neighborhood bozos accidentally traveled to the Land of Untold Stories and brought back Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, because why not? As if that wasn’t enough, Snow, Emma, and Regina used Jekyll’s serum on Regina, splitting her into Regina and the Wicked Queen. Regina “kills” her, but her magical ashes reform in Chinatown and she wreaks havoc.
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Based on the promo, season six will probably be just as chaotic and thin as the previous one. It looks like it’s going to suffer from three villain syndrome again–we have the previously mentioned Mr. Hyde, because fairy tales just aren’t enough; the Wicked Queen, who promises to do the most damage; and Jafar, who isn’t in Storybrooke just yet, but probably will be soon. How will they tie everything together? Are these villains going to work together, or all stick to their own agendas? Will the dialogue stop sounding like terrible fan fiction? Tune in for the season premiere on Sunday, September 25th at 8/7c to find out!
The Goldbergs (Wednesday, Sep. 21 8/7c)
ABC’s nostalgic look back at the 80’s returns for it’s fourth season promising something that rarely happens on sitcoms: change. Most sitcoms are loathe to do anything to mix up the formula once they’ve settled into a successful groove but The Goldbergs proved last season that they can adapt to new situations when its lead character Adam(Sean Giambrone) noticeable hit puberty and the show embraced the situation, and Giambrone’s creaky new voice, exploring Adam’s transition from geeky kid to geeky teen. Wendi McLendon-Covey and Jeff Garlin continue to hold it down as Adam’s wildly different but equally lovable parents while Troy Gentile and Hayley Orrantia contribute solid performances as Adam’s older brother and sister.
One thing to look forward to every year with The Goldbergs are the episodes of the show that send up popular movies from the 80’s. The showing is wasting no time this year by kicking off the season with an episode based around another John Hughes classic: The Breakfast Club. Tune in this season for all your 80’s nostalgia needs and to see if the show can keep embracing change like it did last year. With Adam headed to high school there are bound to be plenty of situations for the show to mine for laughs.
Black-ish (Wenesday, Sep. 21 at 9:30/8:30c)
Black-ish has quickly established itself as a show to watch by tackling subjects like police brutality and the Bill Cosby scandal. The episode addressing police brutality, last season’s “Hope,” is brilliantly simple in its construction. The Johnson family is gather to watch breaking news coverage of the indictment of a police officer and from there most of the rest of the episode is simply a conversation. That episode shows off one of the key strengths of Black-ish. The show is willing to examine difficult and complicated subjects from multiple points of view and really explore these topics in depth. Season two proved that showrunner Kenya Barris and his team can explore topics like that and still bring plenty of laughs.
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The third season will continue to explore the Johnson family dynamic. Andre and Rainbow will continue to butt heads and have disagreements over how to raise their kids while their kids continue to have their own issues. Complicating everything will be Rainbow’s pregnancy. How will the entire Johnson family respond to a brand new baby? The twins will have to realize that soon they won’t be the babies of the family anymore and are sure to react in different ways. Will Zooey or Jr have a particularly strong reaction to their new sibling? Plenty of new situations to look forward to, including the introduction of Rainbow’s brother Johan played by Hamilton star Daveed Diggs but first, they’re going to Disneyworld!
How to Get Away With Murder (Thursday, Sep. 22 at 10/9c)
How to Get Away with Murder exploded onto the scene in its first season quickly captivating viewers with a twisting mystery, compelling characters, and a star making turn from Viola Davis. The second season faltered a bit as the mystery got a bit too convoluted and involved too many twists and turns. Even so, Murder still provided plenty of great atmosphere and the type of soapy excitement that we’ve come to expect from a Shondaland joint.
A new school year always means new beginnings and so expect some new additions to the cast, such as new students for Annalise and the Keating Five to pull into their web. Last season’s big cliffhanger should be answered quickly, although like most answers on this show, expect it to lead to even more questions. This season’s mystery seems to be centered around Annalise herself from the beginning. After the events of the first two season’s Annalise’s reputation has taken a hit. There’s no way the Annalise we know will back down from a fight so expect plenty of the explosive scenes Murder is known for nailing. Lastly, make sure to get your character deathwatches ready because How to Get Away with Murder promises another major death.
Fresh Off the Boat (Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 9/10c)
Fresh Off the Boat was forced to adapt last year after the real life Eddie Huang publicly voiced his disappointment with the show following season one. It dropped the voice over and expanded its scope beyond young Eddie. The breakout star in season one was obviously Constance Wu’s Jessica Huang. She stole every scene she was in and created one of the all time sitcom moms. Season two allowed Jessica’s character to be explored through her relationships with her sons and her friendship/business partnership with Honey. The show also expanded expanded its scope and proved that the rest of cast were no slouches with Randall Park bringing the laughs now that he’s given more to do. The kid actors on the show all also seemed more comfortable in their roles the show did a great job establishing each one as a separate person. My favorite runner quickly became Evan’s integration into the group of moms and wives of the neighborhood and his adventures with them. Another fun touch was Eddie’s group of friends at school. Each kid was given their own weird little quirk and show managed to give them just the right amount of screen time.
Season three kicks off by exploring more of Eddie’s identity as an asian american as the whole family heads to Taiwan. Fresh Off the Boat may not be as the real life Eddie Huang would like it to be but it continues to explore the american family from a point a view rarely seen on television, or even film for that matter. That in and of itself makes the show exciting but the talented cast and solid writing really bring the whole package together.
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