Midseason Check-In: What Will Happen to the Rookies?

[original comments from 2/21/14; final update: 5/10/14]

Shows have come and gone, both for me and for everyone. Many mid-season replacements are moving along now, and others are coming back from Olympics hiatus, so let's take a short look at how the new network programs have done based on what has premiered so far...

What I Planned to Watch:
The Goldbergs (ABC): 15 episodes in, 7 more to go in the first season. I'm willing to bet it'll get renewed, which is great, because I enjoy it. RENEWED!
Lucky 7 (ABC): CANCELLED after 2 episodes.
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC): Full season ordered, but I quit after 3 episodes. It'll likely be renewed. RENEWED!
Intelligence (CBS): 7 of 13 in, and I gave up after the pilot. Numbers are decent, but there are other factors in play for a second season. CANCELLED!
The Crazy Ones (CBS): 15 episodes have aired so far, and it may or may not be renewed, but I quit after 5 episodes. CANCELLED!
We Are Men (CBS): CANCELLED after 2 episodes.
Star-Crossed (CW): only one episode in, so it's too early to really tell. CANCELLED!
Dads (FOX): its season of 18 episodes has finished airing, and many believe it will be cancelled. I quit after 6. CANCELLED!
The Michael J. Fox Show (NBC): CANCELLED after 15 episodes; I quit after 8.
Sean Saves the World (NBC): CANCELLED after 13 episodes; I quit after 5.
Welcome to the Family (NBC): CANCELLED after 3 episodes, though a few more are available on Hulu.

The Others:
Back in the Game (ABC): CANCELLED after 10 episodes. 
Super Fun Night (ABC): It will only run 17 episodes, and it's not looking good for renewal. CANCELLED!
Trophy Wife (ABC). It will have a full season, and has 8 episodes to go, This one actually won me over, but nobody else, and it's not likely to be renewed. CANCELLED!
Betrayal (ABC): It has finished its 13-episode season, and I'll bet it's canceled. CANCELLED!
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (ABC): You CAN have too much of a good thing, and this is an example. 8 episodes have aired so far, and probably only 5 more will. CANCELLED!
Mom (CBS): 16 episodes so far, 8 to go, and it looks like renewal is a distinct possibility. RENEWED!
The Millers (CBS): 10 episodes aired so far, and more should come this year and next. RENEWED!
Hostages (CBS): It ran 15 episodes and is not likely to get any more. CANCELLED!
The Originals (CW): RENEWED!
Reign (CW): RENEWED!
The Tomorrow People (CW): 13 down, 9 to go, and although this one could go either way, I'm betting against it. CANCELLED!
Almost Human (FOX): 6 episodes aired so far, and the horizon is bleak. CANCELLED!
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX): 16 down, 6 to go, it's doing well, but could do better. RENEWED!
Enlisted (FOX): 5 out of 13 episodes have aired, and the ratings are just abysmal. CANCELLED!
Murder Police (FOX): CANCELLED without airing.  
Rake (FOX): 5 out of 13 have aired, and the audience is steadily declining. CANCELLED!
Sleepy Hollow (FOX): RENEWED!
The Blacklist (NBC): RENEWED!
Chicago P.D. (NBC): 5 out of 15 episodes have aired, and it's a toss-up at the moment. RENEWED!
Dracula (NBC): It got its 10 episodes, and although it's not looking great, a renewal is not impossible. CANCELLED!
Ironside (NBC): CANCELLED after 3 episodes.

What are your predictions at this point in the season?

Lucky 7: Not So Lucky

I was late getting up this recap, but now at least I get to lead in with the news that this will be our final recap for this series. I'm actually a bit sad, as this was definitely my favorite of the new dramas, and I really was getting interested in each of the characters, but I was pretty alone in those preferences, apparently. ABC announced the cancellation of Lucky 7 today, after the pilot got 4.4M viewers and the second episode only 2.6M. Anyone else hoping for at least an online burn-off of the other episodes?

 ABC/John Medland

Lucky 7 "Inside Job" (S01E02): Denise looks for the lottery ticket, as she put it someplace for safe keeping and forgot where. Everyone tears apart the store looking for it, and Antonio finds it in the cash register. [if I had a lottery ticket for every time I put something in a "safe place" and forgot where...!] Denise takes Ted back, and the girls go shopping for clothes to wear for a big party. [$9,227.00 is a LOT to blow! and she gets her hair done, too!] Later, Denise tries to be romantic with Ted, but he hardly notices her clad in lingerie amidst music and candles because he's looking for his phone. Denise saw a text on his phone from "cable guy" and sets up a meeting to find out just who her husband's mistress is. [poor Denise. Ted is such a jerk!]

Leanne helps her daughter lie about their past, and then refuses to do interviews. Nobody knows why, but Matt realizes the coworkers all know everything about one another and nothing about Leanne, so he asks her what's up. Turns out, Leanne kidnapped Emma when the girl's biological mother wouldn't allow the adoption to go through, and Leanne didn't want Emma growing up with an addict. [while this couldn't end well, it was definitely different!]

Matt is questioned again about the robbery, as the police had someone read the robber's lips in the security footage. Matt also has to identify the guy in a lineup, but he panics. Nicky tells him to stick with the plan, but Matt says that the perp isn't in the lineup. The investigator was trying to catch him in a lie, but the new angle could be pitting the brothers against one another, as Nicky's alibi falls through when a parking ticket from the night of the robbery is revealed. [stupid details! c'mon, guys!] Also, Mary considers "Angelina" and "Charlize" as names for the baby. [not a fan of either, honestly.] 

Samira's dad wants to start Free Ride Fridays now that they've won the lottery, but she's focused more on her romantic future. She plans to break it off with Nicky because he's trouble, but when he says that she's afraid to disappoint her father, she kisses him. [I thought this girl was supposed to be smart??] Later, they're out together when he gets beat up for the money he owes. [I could do without Nicky.]

Bob has been smelling strawberries, and it turns out that he has a brain tumor. [strawberries? I wish that part would have been explained!] It was only found because of his head injury, so he is glad that it all happened, and is optimistic that he'll be okay. However, his wife is taking it more seriously, even though she had been hoping for a vacation.

At school, Antonio's kid is teased because whenever someone makes a mistake, they call it "pulling a Clemente." [kids are kids and life goes on. it's just tough to see that when you're the kid.]

NEW SHOW: Lucky 7: How it Happened

Another series told in flashback. From the beginning of the pilot, we know that "present day" is seven months later than when the group of coworkers win the Empire State Lottery, but it is not clear how long the series will be in the past. It is even suggested that the drama will delve further into the past, in order to uncover the reasons behind the various characters' struggles. Still, $145M (obviously less after taxes) split six ways is a nice chunk of change. Plus, the fact that one of the Gold Star employees did not participate in the pool definitely puts an interesting perspective out there. All said and done, the pilot had me on the edge of my seat wanting more, and I hope that the next several episodes can live up to that.

Lucky 7 "Pilot" (S01E01): First, the characters and their backgrounds...
Denise, an overweight woman with a cheating husband, Ted. They have no children, but they tried for several years, only resulting in a miscarriage. They hadn't had sex in five years when he disappears, only to resurface after Denise wins big.
Matt has a pregnant wife, Mary, and a son and they're living at his mother's, as is his ex-con brother, Nicky. Things there are hectic, and Mary winds up going into premature labor, but fortunately births a healthy daughter. Mary even threatens to head to her sister's place with the kids if they can't get a place of their own. [this sort of attitude bothers me. How uninformed is Mary that she isn't aware of what their household can and cannot afford?]
Nicky is six months out of the slammer, and owes money to several different people. He is also trying to date Samira.
Samira wants to play the violin at Julliard, but her parents want her to settle down, trying to arrange a marriage for her with a local doctor.
Leanne is a single mother with a young daughter who dances. Leanne also has a past, but how deep it goes has yet to be revealed. [identity theft, anyone?]
Antonio is a mechanic at the gas station who stopped playing the pool at work to save money, but didn't tell his family, including wife Bianca.
Bob is the boss, who is worried that Gold Star might be sold to a chain, which could affect everyone's jobs.

Now, the story in the pilot. Matt, desperate to find a place to live, asks Bob for a raise. When he's turned down, Nicky tries to convince his brother to steal from the safe at work, which could benefit them both. After some hesitation, Matt agrees to help, but when Bob shows up in the middle of the robbery, Nicky hits him over the head and he's rushed to the hospital. [I was surprised that Nicky and Matt didn't go over "the plan" a little more, as it came off very strange.] Matt wants to come clean, but Nicky just wants to split the $9,000 and move on. When the numbers are pulled and the group finds out they won, everyone is excited except for Bianca, who immediately starts spending the money, unaware that her family isn't entitled to any of it. [everyone just memorizes the numbers to look for? for one set of numbers, sure, but for a bunch??] Antonio calls in sick the next day, avoiding the excitement as lottery official comes to go over the rules, talk about a press conference, and have the group vote on whether to include Matt, who didn't technically pay in that week.

(ABC/John Medland)

The blind vote is 2-2 (though Matt suspects Samira and Denise were the ones trying to keep him out), so once Bob is coherent, he breaks the tie by including Matt. [awww. how sweet. but why did anyone vote to keep him out? If they covered his portion, they knew he'd pay!] Meanwhile, Nicky gets interrogated about being a con working at the gas station. A day later, Antonio has no hard feelings and hopes that they all will still spend New Year's together. [that's sweet.]

Fun Friday: My Fall Broadcast Network Picks

So, back in June, I broke down all of the new broadcast network pilots, giving a little summary about what they're about and which interest me the most. [CBS, ABC, FOX, NBC, CW] (I also did this in 2012 and 2011, if you're nostalgic.) Below is a look at just the ones I'll be tuning in to watch this fall, starting September 17th! We looked at how our DVR will fit it already, but this is to remind you why these shows are worth checking out, in premiering order. When we get closer to mid-season, I'll post another article with those picks in it as well.

Dads (FOX Comedy, premieres 8pm Tuesday, Sept. 17th) has gotten a lot of flack, especially because of the stereotypes and racist jokes in the pilot. I support Seth MacFarlane and will be checking it out for his work, as well as the acting of Seth Green and Giovanni Ribisi, but the story of two grown men whose fathers move in with them certainly does not sound like the best idea all season.

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (previously just S.H.I.E.L.D.) (ABC drama, premieres 8pm Tuesday, Sept 24th) is Joss Whedon's spinoff from the Avengers film and based on the Marvel characters. There are many rumors about the series because of the secrecy everyone involved has kept, but the pilot screening at TCA proved to be very adventurous and exciting, so hopefully the season will follow suit.

The Goldbergs (ABC comedy, premieres 9pm Tuesday, Sept. 24th) is about a family in the 1980s. Mom, Dad, Grandpa, and three kids make up the core unit, with the youngest son a budding filmmaker, resulting in a lot of narration. There are great things about the series (Patton Oswalt, for one), but I have great hesitations about this one because some of the story premises sound a bit annoying.

Lucky 7 (ABC drama, premieres 10pm Tuesday, Sept. 24th) has seven coworkers from Queens winning the lottery. I think its biggest obstacle will be the in media res beginning but with the right flashbacks, it could still work. Plus, the big focus on "blue collar" folks and their ways of life in the multicultural Queens is appealing to a broad audience with so many upper-middle-class families on TV today.

Crazy Ones (CBS comedy, premieres 9pm Thursday, Sept. 26th) is more than just Robin Williams playing a random old guy with daughter and business partner Sarah Michelle Gellar. The premise behind the advertising firm's ideas and the addition of Hamish Linklater weigh-in well for the program. It sounds a little odd for a CBS offering, but there is still potential if it can get a good start. 

We Are Men (previously Ex-Men) (CBS comedy, premieres 8:30pm Monday, Sept. 30th) marks the return of Tony Shaloub and Kal Penn to comedy, playing two of the four men in the show. I find The Exes very funny, but this show's addition of the guys' exes may or may not be the greatest idea. Still, the talent and driving theme seem to be worth the time to see how a few episodes will play out.
 
The Michael J. Fox Show (NBC comedy, premieres 9pm Thursday, Sept. 26th, though normal airtime will be 9:30) can be a challenge to watch, as witnessing the suffering of someone with Parkinson's can be uncomfortable. However, Michael J. Fox is about as famous as they come, so seeing him live out the story of his life with some changes (like his profession being a NYC newscaster) could be grand.

Welcome to the Family (NBC comedy, premieres 8:30pm Thursday, Oct. 3rd) will either find an audience or it won't, and I think that's all there is to it. It's Reba with older kids and cultural differences, minus Barbara Jean. The more I learn about it, the less "staying power" is seems to have, but I just have a feeling that there could be a silver lining behind it all...

Sean Saves the World (previously The Untitled Victor Fresco/Sean Hayes Project and Happiness) (NBC Comedy, premieres 9pm Thursday, Oct. 3rd) is one of the weaker series that interests me, as Sean Hayes playing a gay man raising a teenage daughter is, quite frankly, a blah concept. However, the supporting characters and plotlines could turn this one around.

TCA Summer 2013: Sunday

Sunday began with Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, which I had completely forgotten was still around. And, apparently, Meredith Vieira has been hosting it for a decade already. Well, now Cedric the Entertainer is going to pick up the hosting responsibilities, and you can read my highlights on that panel here.

Immediately following was the panel for Trophy Wife, which I was not looking forward to. I originally boiled down the series to "a girl who falls for a twice-divorced man with three bratty kids. She wants to win over the kids and avoid the exes, but it's going to be harder than she thinks." After the panel, I must say that I was a little more taken with the series than before. Apparently the title is supposed to be ironic, and even upon reading the script, Malin Akerman "thought it was so brilliant" and "the complete opposite of a trophy wife." However, the title may come into play as the Kate character encounters various people who view her as such. Plus, Kate is not really replacing the previous "wives" in this situation (Jackie and Diane) completely anyway, as she sometimes teams up with either of the women toward a common enemy (like a teacher). That said, it still may not be the best pilot, as EP Lee Eisenberg pointed out that introducing eight characters in 21 minutes is "very tricky," though the final scene has Kate admit to Bradley that she has no idea what she's doing, and that is an honest moment that may resonate with viewers.

Next was the Executive Session with Paul Lee, which I'll bullet-point for you here, as I thought that most of the questions either didn't receive great answers or weren't the most interesting inquiries.

• Last time Lee spoke at TCA, he talked about the female demographic and its importance to the ABC network. Lee shared that ABC is the Number One women's 18-49 network, and lots of the his "have incredibly empowered women in them." But, shows like S.H.I.E.L.D. and Goldbergs are "constructed to be four-quadrant shows" so women aren't the only focus. He also called ABC "the most upscale network" and mentioned that "we focus on empowered women. We are men-inclusive. We are family-inclusive. And we are highly co-viewed." The journalists in the room mused over the term "co-viewed" a bit, as it's not exactly a familiar word. 
• It would later be discussed further, but when asked about Rebel Wilson's American accent on Super Fun Night, Lee explained that it was Wilson's "choice" to do that, but he thinks that she's "going to be fantastic at it" and is "actually extremely good at it." He also added that "she's so funny and she brings such a presence to everything she does, and she has an in-built fan base who are already very engaged with that show." 
• Regarding Suburgatory, which got renewed yet is not on the fall schedule, Lee has "a little inkling in our mind where that show is going to go back" and that the third season will "bring the show back to all the sort of fish-out-of-water stories that it was originally intended to be." This made me happy, as loyal readers know how much I became disappointed in that series. Still, if I had to guess, I think Suburgatory isn't on the schedule yet because ABC doesn't put a lot of faith in Back in the Game, which is a Wednesday night comedy we'll get to later today... 

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland was next, and I was really looking forward to hearing about that series, as I'm not a big fan of the original, yet was surprised that ABC chose to feature it at Comic-Con over the new drama. I'll be writing more about this one at a later date, so stay tuned.

Following that was Super Fun Night, which still looks horrific. And, after a lunch screening of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., we had the garbage that is Betrayal. Everyone in the room tweeted about the many similar series that exist on ABC already, including Revenge, Mistresses, and Scandal. I'll be looking at that one in more detail just before the drama is set to premiere.

Two of the ABC series I'm most looking forward to followed, The Goldbergs, which is the family comedy set in the 80s, and Lucky 7, which has seven Queens residents splitting lottery winnings. ABC handed out scratch-offs to accompany that one, with critics winning massages, gas cards, or a junk food gift basket. I have lots to say about these two series and their panels, and will likely cover one over in my Examiner column tomorrow.

Before the much-anticipated Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. panel (where everyone really wanted to hear from Joss Whedon, not just because he's shiny but also because he wasn't going to be at the cocktail reception following), we had Back in the Game, which I initially touted as a Bad News Bears-type series, and the panel really solidified that perspective. It actually made me feel worse for anyone wanting to tune in. I mean, look at these tidbits:

• There are coaches on the show to help the actors if they need it, but "they're actually really athletic," according to EP Mark Cullen. Plus, they need horrible kids to be on the horrible team, so it works out. Maggie Lawson, however, played softball growing up and is good enough that she doesn't need a "stunt thrower."
• Cullen also noted that even though the kids "have two good coaches," the team will "get somewhat better, but they're never going to be good." He later added that "they're not going to win a game all year," making them worse than Charlie Brown's team. So the gimmick to watch this show over others is a kids' baseball team, but it's a horrid at the sport?
• I'm glad that someone asked how the series plans to last more than four years with a Little League team as the backdrop for the comedy,

That's it for Saturday, ABC, and TCA, actually. PBS has the end days of the summer tour, and although we may do some retweets, no major articles are planned for their presentations.

Fun Friday: My Potential Fall 2013 Watching Schedule

Now that we've looked at all of the upcoming pilots on the broadcast networks, it's time to see just how hard my DVR will be working! I was initially afraid that I wouldn't be able to get all of my hopefuls to fit with my in-progress series, but it seems that the networks are playing nice and not over-burdening me on any specific nights, though my Thursday is filling up fast! For a chart view of the schedule, check out TVbytheNumbers.

The broadcast networks ordered 49 series for next season, plus some miniseries and specials. After going through all of them, 16 interest me, which makes for a busy watching schedule, especially when you factor in the five returning broadcast network shows and the dozen or so cable shows we cover. Last year I picked out 15 new series (though Mistresses has yet to air and Crossbones is being counted again this year), so it's not as crazy a number as you might think.

Mondays I'm blocking 8-9:30 on CBS (How I Met Your Mother, We Are Men, 2 Broke Girls), and that's it. This is nice because it's the same block I started with last season (when Partners was in the 8:30pm slot), and because a lot of the cable shows I enjoy air on Mondays.

Tuesdays are all ABC with one CBS slot, the 8pm Dads. I'll be on ABC the entire three hours of primetime (S.H.I.E.L.D., The Goldbergs, and Lucky 7), except for 9:30's Trophy Wife.

Wednesdays have The Middle returning at 8pm on ABC, but are otherwise empty, unless I want to waste some time hate-watching Revolution on NBC at 8pm. I'm surprised that Wednesdays will be so bare!

Thursdays are busier than expected - I've got some CBS (The Big Bang Theory, The Crazy Ones, and Two and a Half just for fun), but I also have 8:30pm-10pm over on NBC, where they'll show Welcome to the Family, Sean Saves the World, and The Michael J. Fox Show.

Fridays has The Last Man Standing, plus The Neighbors if I want some guilty pleasure viewing.

Saturday has nothing for me, though I will be picking up Bob's Burgers on Sundays as it enters its fourth season. 

Why doesn't this sound so rough? Well, partly because a bunch of my selections are being held as midseason replacements or late starters, including Friends with Better Lives, Intelligence, Star-Crossed, About a Boy, The Family Guide, Undateable, and Crossbones. Let us know below how tough your own schedule will be!

Looking Ahead: ABC's Comedies and Dramas for 2013

What intrigued me most about the shows ABC has decided to try out this fall is that I really needed to see the trailers to make decisions about a good chunk of them. For a large proportion of the new series this year, I've been able to make decisions on the premises and cast/crew alone. This means that ABC did a good job of marketing their programs to me, but they also run the risk of seeming too generic for specific groups to try. I think they have a wide variety of options, but that has its own pros and cons, so who knows.  

I'm looking to try out one of the comedies and two of the dramas, which is low for me when you consider how many of ABC's series I've enjoyed in the past. Which interest you?

COMEDY:
Back in the Game (formerly The Untitled Cullens Project) is about a divorced woman who brings her son along to live with her father. The old man is a former baseball player, but because her son loves the sport, the mother is drawn back into it once again. It sounds a little like The Bad News Bears, and I'm not interested.

The Goldbergs is your average variety family comedy, except it's set in the 1980s. You've got mom, dad, three kids, and grandpa. The youngest is a budding filmmaker, so we see a lot of narration from his point-of-view, much like The Wonder Years. The more I learn about the series, the less I like it, but I'll give it a couple episodes for now.

ABC

Mixology, as you might expect, is set in a Manhattan bar. It's a bit How I Met Your Mother in that the series depicts singles looking for love in a single night. It didn't sound good to me, but the trailer was almost repulsive, so I'm staying far away.

Super Fun Night reminds me a bit of The Weekenders in that it's three ladies concerned only about having a great weekend, or, more specifically, a great Friday night. I didn't even smile at the trailer, and find the premise to be a terrible movie, let alone a disastrous show.

Trophy Wife is about a girl who falls for a twice-divorced man with three bratty kids. She wants to win over the kids and avoid the exes, but it's going to be harder than she thinks. Again, this sounds like a bad movie and nothing more.

DRAMA:
Betrayal is about an affair between a married photographer and a lawyer who is facing off against the photographer's husband in the courtroom. Gag me with a spoon... this is about as off-putting as it gets!

Mind Games (previously Influence) is two brothers using human behavior statistics and psychology to get things to go their way. It's part Psych and part House for starters... if you know how someone will react, you can create illusions all around you. I hate manipulation, so I'm out.

Killer Women is based on an Argentinian series where there's one rough-and-tumble woman in the Texas Rangers who is determined to succeed. Female empowerment aside, this honestly looks really boring.

Lucky 7 is based on a British program where seven coworkers (in Queens for this version) win the lottery. I liked the backstory flashes for the characters enough to give this one a try, though I think I would have approached it differently.

ABC

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (previously S.H.I.E.L.D.) is the Joss Whedon project based on the Marvel Comics' organization, a spinoff from the Avengers film(s). Because I'm a big Marvel fan, I'll try it out, but I've already been rolling my eyes a bit.

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland is the spin-off to the hit Sunday night attraction, Once Upon a Time. The difference here is that it will be told from the perspective of Alice. I don't have any interest in the original, and this one sounds no better.

The Resurrection (previously The Returned) is a bit too creepy for me. The idea is that dead people return from beyond out of nowhere, acting like no time has passed. This only works in a specific town in Missouri, but it reminds me a lot of Alcatraz. I think there's a market for it, but it's not me.

How many of these shows will you be tuning in to try?

[quick links to the other networks: CBS/CW, FOX, NBC.]