NEW SHOW: The Odd Couple

I have to start out by admitting that I've never seen an episode of the original Odd Couple series. However, I am familiar with its popularity, and after watching this re-make pilot, I wonder if the concept is dated. Mismatched roommates and divorcees living together are not innovative ideas for television. Granted, this is the pilot so part of the storyline has to be dedicated to setting up the characters, but it didn't really lure me in much at all - or maybe I'm just not the target audience. Still, as I mentioned last June, I think that the casting may hold promise, so I'll stick around for a few episodes.

Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2014 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved

The Odd Couple "Pilot" (S01E01): Oscar is a sports radio host who works from home. [really? you can do that sort of thing from home now? on a real radio station?] His assistant, Dani, helps him with tasks both business and personal. [I guess she exists so there's a female character?] His agent, Teddy, is also a friend. [odd to see that actor last year being Michael J. Fox's boss and now a buddy of Matthew Perry, LoL.] He hits on his neighbors, and his latest target is Casey. Things with her go awry, however, when Oscar's old friend, Felix, shows up, heartbroken. Despite having been in couples therapy for eight years, Felix's wife, Ashley, has called it quits, so also-newly-single Oscar (divorced from wife Gabby) invites his friend to crash at his place. Felix promptly cleans the apartment, but again manages to throw a wrench in Oscar's dating plans, this time with Casey and her sister, Emily. [awesome living room! a sports ticker that even tells you what you're out of around the house?!?]

Did Social Media Affect Rookie Cancellations?

The slaughter of the rookie television series on the major broadcast networks is always rough… there usually aren't too many surprises, but many people cross fingers for something that doesn't make the cut. More than ever, the market share isn’t accounting for the actual popularity of a program, between delayed viewing, internet viewing, and illegal downloading/streaming, to name a few alternatives. The latest ratings technology is trying hard to account for these things, but it has been speculated (and even admitted in some cases) that social media has been playing a larger factor. PR departments have actors live-tweet alongside episode airings, networks post on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram how things are going on the set, and some series even have accounts on such websites as Pinterest these days.

All of this led me to be interested in how the social media popularity of the new 2013-2014 shows correlated with their respective cancellations and renewals. After all, with the new pilot season upon us, I'd love to have more renewal prediction tools available! So, I looked up all of last season's Facebook Likes, though this is a flawed system. First, Like numbers have changed since the fate of the shows was announced - people have dropped following shows with no futures and jumped on bandwagons for those that do. Two, it doesn't account for the interaction on these shows - just because a page has a lot of Likes doesn't mean those folks are actively engaged with the Page. That said, the below counts are current as of 8/14/14, and are shown in descending order, with comedies and dramas in separate lists. The networks renewed blue shows and canceled red ones.

Comedies
Super Fun Night (ABC Comedy): 332,987 likes
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX Comedy): 300,545 likes
The Michael J. Fox Show (NBC Comedy): 274,448 likes
The Goldbergs (ABC Comedy): 241,529 likes
Dads (FOX Comedy): 126,785 likes
About a Boy (NBC Comedy): 126,624 likes
Mom (CBS Comedy): 121,080 likes
The Crazy Ones (CBS Comedy): 117,236 likes
Sean Saves the World (NBC Comedy): 106,069 likes
Mixology (ABC Comedy): 103,257 likes
Surviving Jack (FOX Comedy): 103,103 likes
Enlisted (FOX Comedy): 71,481 likes
Trophy Wife (ABC Comedy): 70,522 likes
Growing Up Fisher (NBC Comedy): 63,564 likes
The Millers (CBS Comedy): 61,076 likes
Undateable (NBC Comedy): 59,952 likes
Welcome to the Family (NBC Comedy): 54,704 likes
Friends with Better Lives (CBS Comedy): 48,611 likes
Back in the Game (ABC Comedy): 41,281 likes
We Are Men (CBS Comedy): 7,229 likes
Murder Police (unaired FOX Comedy): 731 likes
Us and Them (unaired FOX Comedy): 0 likes - I don't believe a Facebook page exists.

Dramas
The Originals (CW Drama): 5,304,230 likes
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC Drama): 3,889,806 likes
Sleepy Hollow (FOX Drama): 1,502,482 likes
The Blacklist (NBC Drama): 1,226,668 likes
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (ABC Drama): 1,139,105 likes
Dracula (NBC Drama): 865,459 likes 
Chicago PD (NBC Drama): 771,687 likes
The Tomorrow People (CW Drama): 696,126 likes
Reign (CW Drama): 681,041 likes
The Resurrection (ABC Drama): 537,134 likes
Believe (NBC Drama): 533,560 likes
Almost Human (FOX Drama): 472,236 likes
The 100 (CW Drama): 444,959 likes
Star-Crossed (CW Drama): 295,203 likes
Intelligence (CBS Drama): 230,012 likes
Betrayal (ABC Drama): 195,527 likes 
Gang Related (FOX Drama): 195,157 like
The Night Shift (NBC Drama): 121,866 likes
Hostages (CBS Drama): 111,322 likes
Crisis (NBC Drama): 102,275 likes
Ironside (NBC Drama): 81,121 likes 
Crossbones (NBC Drama): 54,503 likes 
Rake (FOX Drama): 37,806 likes
Killer Women (ABC Drama): 34,044 likes
Mind Games (ABC Drama): 31,732 likes
Reckless (CBS Drama): 11,580 likes (fate not yet officially announced)
Lucky 7 (ABC Drama): 9,074 likes

So, what does this all mean? There is a correlation for the most part, but you can't bet on these things just from Facebook Likes. The highest-liked comedy of the year was Super Fun Night by 30,000+ fans, but it wasn't renewed. Similarly, The Michael J. Fox Show and Dads had more Likes than FOUR of the six comedies that the networks renewed. That one is probably easy to explain, though: both had very likeable, famous people attached (Michael J. Fox and Seth MacFarland, respectively), so there was likely an initial rally behind the series, but fans just didn't bother to "unlike" the Pages when the shows tanked. Plus The Millers only had about half the Likes of the next-renewed comedy.

In dramas, the CW renewed its top four Liked programs. Over on NBC, The Night Shift has more than 300,000 fewer Likes than the next-closest renewed drama, but it didn't air during the peak season, so it had less competition. The most-Liked canceled FOX show (Almost Human) has 150,000+ more Likes than their only renewed comedy (Brooklyn Nine-Nine).  Actually, I was surprised by how many fewer Facebook fans of comedy there are than of dramas!

The bottom line? You can't make educated guesses across the board based on Facebook Like numbers, though there is still plenty of interesting information there! (Did you see how many Likes The Originals has?!?)

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?

Fun Friday: What the Rich People Watch

Yesterday, AVClub posted an article looking at the socioeconomic demographics of the Nielsen ratings - the top 20 shows watched by the highest-earning households, and the top 20 watched by the lowest-earning households, on average. I was thoroughly amused by which shows were on each list. Let's take a gander, first at what the high-earners watch:

Now, out of the 20 above, I regularly watch 5 of them (The Goldbergs, How I Met Your Mother, The Michael J. Fox Show, Trophy Wife, and The Middle), and occasionally tune in for one more (Shark Tank). Of the others on the list, there are several that I can't stand (Modern Family, Glee, Super Fun Night, and Nashville), and a bunch I've seen but don't care for (Castle, Parks and Rec, New Girl).

Now, at what the low-earners watch:

From this list, I only cover one series for this site: Bob's Burgers, the show with the lowest earners of them all. I watch The Simpsons occasionally, and tried both The Neighbors and Dads, though they weren't my cup of tea. I've seen American Dad and Family Guy in the past, and enjoyed America's Funniest Home Videos back in the early 1990s. The rest? I couldn't care less about.

Now, I don't really trust the Nielsen ratings anyway, so I take all of the information in the above charts with a grain of salt, but I still found it interesting enough to glance through and think about.

What about you - do you tend to watch the shows of the princes or the paupers?

Michael J. Fox: Leigh is So Needy!

Wow, this show makes me so mad! The way that Leigh is always pestering Mike for life help infuriates me. Annie endorsing Leigh's choices and getting Mike to give in to his sister makes it so much worse. And the fact that nobody seems to think of Leigh as a failed adult is just too much! I've been wavering on this series for several episodes now, but this was the one that did me in. I need a family show to have clear definitions of who the family members are and how they should interact... immaturity is just not appealing.

Eric Liebowitz/NBC

The Michael J. Fox Show "Beg Bugs" (S01E08): Ian arranges for Eve's gym bag to go missing, forcing her to ride the subway home in a sailor suit. [none of her friends had any clothing they could loan her? the one semester I took gym, we tended to bring an extra shirt at least!] A prank war is initiated, and Eve uses a simple saran-wrap-on-the-toilet decoy to tease Ian through a fake meeting with a CEO. [haha, LinkedIn. because so many people get jobs from that!] Ian goes all out to prepare, even cashing in a savings bond prematurely to buy a suit for the interview. [cue another dumb Leigh move!] Well, Eve realizes that what she did wasn't actually funny, and she sends an email saying that the company is relocating to Poughkeepsie. Well, Ian decides to go after the job anyway, and even though Eve tells him the truth, he goes on his way regardless, not believing her. [he really is an odd one!] He winds up a suit salesman after chatting to someone on the train. [for a bankrupt company, but that's not the point...]

Leigh got into a writer's group but doesn't want to host them once a month because she got her couch from a dumpster over a decade ago. [ha! "your toe is 12 years long?"] She asks Mike for money for a couch, and when her literary agent gives up on her, Mike caves. She asks for money to reupholster it, too, but Mike says that she needs to start taking care of her own life. Well, the couch has bedbugs, so she has to stay with the Henrys. [...why don't they take precautions to make sure she isn't bringing them into their place??] She has an exterminator coming, but in the meantime, she's wreaking havoc in the Henry household. [haha, Fonz reference!] Well, Leigh is worried about the chemicals that the exterminator wanted to spray, so she asks him not to do so, as she believes that sage will naturally kill them off in three weeks. [eye roll!] Well, Mike decides to exterminate the place himself, after he's tired of sleeping on the couch and performs poorly at work. [falling asleep in an interview? holy cow! also, interviewing both a cat and Chris Christie is odd. what's his job description again??]

Michael J. Fox: Golfing, Renting, Dating

I know that I have seen a lot of television, but when I just see recycled bits thrown together, I get annoyed. Cory and Shawn pulled the "rent out the house" gag on Boy Meets World, and Ross and Joey got locked on the roof on Friends (and it happens to Daphne on Frasier as well). The sad thing is, even with those memorable moments, the Ian/Eve storyline was still preferable to that of Mike/Annie. The low-yielding fundraiser and disability jokes just weren't that interesting! I could have done with more of Leigh/Graham, but only if it played out the right way... parts of it was predictable, though parts were also adorable. I keep saying I'll give this show one more shot, and here I am reiterating that once again!

The Michael J. Fox Show "Golf" (S01E07): Annie and Mike go golfing in New Jersey and stay in the same hotel they went to when they got engaged. A blind guy cuts in front of Mike at check-in, resulting in Mike getting a garden-view suite instead of an ocean-view suite. [I'm always amazed at how much people care about the view when they're at a hotel. I just want a clean room in a safe place, LoL.] Mike and the blind guy wind up golfing together, and after each makes rude comments, the duo is constantly trying to one-up each other. [only funny for an instant - then it got annoying.] The charity really doesn't raise much money, and the Henrys wind up leaving the banquet early and going into the blind guy's room, having sex and getting caught. [who does that??!?]

Eric Liebowitz/NBC

The older two kids rent out their 4/2, but they can't check into a hotel because they're so young. [18 isn't enough? I remember being 21 and staying in a hotel we booked ourselves, but can't put a finger on a trip any younger that wasn't school- or family-sponsored.] So, they buy a $200 tent to stick on the roof, but it blows away and they get locked out up there... in a thunderstorm. [not impressed.] They try to break into their house but wind up getting caught, and say that their parents are the ones who rented it out and left them with nowhere to go. [and somehow this didn't exactly blow up in their faces? also, shout-out to The Mighty Ducks!]

Leigh watches Graham, and he pretends to be her date for the evening. Though he doesn't impress her, when he calls her to watch a movie with the family the next day, she's happy. [awww.]

Michael J. Fox: Working Together

Annie and Mike definitely have an interesting relationship, and their parenting style is also one for the books. This was one of the better episodes, with the relationships between and the personalities of the Henrys really shining through, but it's still not that magnificent of a series. I'm putting it on warning, as though this was a pretty funny episode, the family might be more annoying than endearing. Eve and Ian are pretty annoying, Leigh has rendered herself a lump, and Graham hasn't received all that much screentime. Unless the neurotic nature of Mike and Annie shifts toward "fascinating," this may be the next show to go for me.

Eric Liebowitz/NBC

The Michael J. Fox Show "Teammates" (S01E06): Ian now has a small room while Graham gets a large one, and when their parents won't budge on switching, Ian decides to scare Graham into swapping. Ian makes a cat puppet to scare Graham, but Graham hung a skeleton to scare the Shadowpuss, and Ian freaks out. [that was pretty funny, actually.]

Eve works Annie for permission to attend an upcoming concert, angering Mike, who already said "no." [haha. my dad may have left when I was 11, but I would still ask one parent for something after the other had said "no."] Leigh gets a dog to pick up guys, and Eve decides to bet Mike that if Leigh can care for it, she can go to the concert. [I don't know why that bet was put in place, but that's moot.] Eve quickly winds up doing the chores when Leigh totally flakes.

Annie bothers a neighbor about elevator etiquette, and Mike tries to make things right... even saying Annie is bi-polar. [ha!] That works until the guy says he's a psychiatrist, and he offers his help to Annie. This upsets the teacher, and she decides that she no longer has to agree with Mike on things, so she allows Eve to attend the concert. But, the teen decides to stay home with the dog at the last minute. [I'll probably never understand how some people can care so much about animals!] But, the Henrys decide to care for it so she can go... and even wind up deciding to keep it when it turns out that Leigh is allergic. [making Leigh even more useless than before, as now she's burdening the Henrys with additional worries.]

It's Mike's company's collective birthday party, and everyone is headed to a karaoke bar. Mike wanted to get out of it, but Annie enjoys karaoke and won't pretend to be sick to help Mike, as they no longer "stand united." However, when the night winds up a disaster, the couple realizes that they do need to help one another if they hope to succeed in life.

Michael J. Fox: Interning, Writing, Hiring

Can we talk about how inappropriate this skirt is for the workplace? Eve is only in high school, but surely one of her parents would suggest she wear something a little more conservative to work, no?

Eric Liebowitz/NBC

It's times like these that I'm grateful I never had the opportunity to make such mistakes. Our skirts/shorts/dresses had to come to the middle of the knee in sixth grade, the top of the knee through tenth, and we were allowed two inches above during our last two years of school. And, yes, I once had to kneel on the ground to be measured, and promptly received a dress code violation when my short-alls (remember when those were a thing?) were deemed not long enough. Anyway, I'm giving this series one final chance to impress me next week... I really wanted to like it but I'm grasping at air here. It's not cute, it's not funny, and the family doesn't seem particularly likeable.

The Michael J. Fox Show "Interns" (S01E05): Eve is interning at Mike's station, and Susie tries to give her more interesting work than Mike does. She gets to pitch some stories and work on an underage drinking expose under Susie, so Mike tries to out-do them, taking a junky intern in a helicopter for a story about library budgets. [hahaha.] Then, he gets in the middle of the expose, not believing it's real. [o_O]

Leigh is writing a book and wants Annie to read the first chapter. It's terrible but Annie doesn't know how to break it to her, so she lies. [but not well! come on, people! prep yourself!] It doesn't work so she comes clean, and even lets Leigh read part of it in her class, and the kids eat it up. [because kids like anything that isn't classic literature, LoL.]

Graham is following around Ian for the day as Graham tries to hire an intern. Nobody wants to work in Graham's bedroom, except Graham. [that was a little cute.]

Michael J. Fox Show: Art & Sports

In case you were curious, there is another movie with a pottery scene: TITANIC! There's a pottery scene at the very beginning, as OldRose is working the wheel when she hears the news talk about the Titanic exploration. Anyway, pottery is an interesting hobby, but I found it incredibly frustrating when I took it for a semester in college, so I imagine that it would be difficult for a grade schooler to enjoy. Hockey, on the other hand, is interesting for kids, at least on Roseanne and Beverly Hills, 90210. and The Simpsons and South Park, for that matter. And, as the other Henry children don't seem to be sports-oriented, it could be a great way for Mike to bond with his youngest. The fact that he chooses another activity entirely doesn't bother me, but where in Manhattan is there an outdoor go-kart track??

The Michael J. Fox Show "Hobbies" (S01E04): Annie and Mike struggle with the new breakdown of household chores. [the multiple dinners was pretty funny and original.] However, Annie is having a touch time with Graham bothering her all afternoon, so she wants to get him into a new afterschool activity. She thinks pottery would be a good choice, but Mike believes hockey would be a better fit. Both parents sign him up for their preferred activities, and both demonstrate their own strengths as Graham just keeps playing video games. [hahaha!] The Henrys put him in a go-kart activity, as he likes to play driving games.

Photo by: Eric Liebowitz/NBC

Eve gets a bully tweet, and Leigh decides to help fight back. It backfires, and Eve works on trying to figure out a new way of running, as she's getting teased. [Phoebe Buffay from Friends, anyone?] Leigh keeps trying to make a difference, but winds up making things worse and worse, and soon winds up in the principal's office for writing those tweets. On the bright side, she might have finally found a voice that will do better for her Cosmo-like articles. [side-boob as a topic? no comment.] 

At work, Mike is reunited with Susie Jones, with whom he worked years ago in Florida. He's not happy about it, but she spins it so that he's the only reason she has a career. [oh I HATE her!] Then, she threatens him in private, and he can't wait to prove her wrong. Harris knows that Mike is right when he witnesses Susie in pain after she claimed that she could no longer feel. [haha - Mike gifts her a broken vase just to cause her pain and annoyance!]

Michael J. Fox: Parenting Mistakes

This episode was heavy on Eve and her relationship with her parents. If Eve was an interesting daughter, this might be great. But, while she's different, she's also more annoying than anything else. Mike and Annie clearly don't know how to handle Ian, and it is beginning to look like they're not experts on Eve, either. This is very disappointing when you think about how much of a "family man" Mike is painted to be in the pilot. I'm going to chalk this episode up to being a fluke, but hopefully the family dynamics will turn around to more amusing levels.

The Michael J. Fox Show "Art" (S01E03): Eve is really enjoying a photography class, where she's been looking at nudes. [I hope my kids ask me to go to museums with them!] Mike and Annie try to talk to Eve about her art, but Mike doesn't get through to her and Eve winds up posing for her. [super creepy! how bad is Annie at life??]

Eric Liebowitz/NBC

When Eve wants to put photos of Annie in her showcase, entitled Mike's Piccolo, Mike and Annie decide to break into the community center and steal the naked images, as well as a few others to stop it from being obvious. Unfortunately, the security guard catches them, but they get away. [...how??] Luckily, they get away, only to wind up coming clean to Eve.

In smaller storylines, Ian is having lady troubles, but he makes up with his girlfriend by the end. [laying with your girlfriend's jeans across yourself is WEIRD.] And, after seeing Leigh put the wrong soap in the dishwasher, Graham decides to do the same thing and has a bubble party with his friends.

NEW SHOW: The Michael J. Fox Show Starts with a Double!

It certainly seems as if there are too few families spending any time together anymore. The Michael J. Fox Show attempts to be the antithesis to this, with the patriarch insisting on the family sitting down to meals together, only for everyone to choose to jet off in their own directions. Instead, the other family members seem to prefer eating on the go for every meal, as pictured below.

(Photo by: K.C. Bailey/NBC)

Fortunately, with a family this difficult, it might be a great thing that Mike is returning to work, as he will be able to spend more time fixing the problems there instead of in his own home. This will, of course, wreak at least some havoc as everyone makes the transition, but that will be half the fun! 

The Michael J. Fox Show "Pilot" (S01E01): Mike Henry left the workplace five years ago due to Parkinson's and has been pouring all of his energy into his family ever since. Teen daughter Eve isn't super-serious about school and is failing English (the very subject her mother teaches) when she doesn't take a The Grapes of Wrath project seriously. [she's also rather annoying.] Younger son Graham is an average boy, interested in LEGOs and whatnot, but whose room has been invaded by older brother Ian, who failed out of Cornell. Mike and Annie don't know that Ian failed out when his Economics class was graded on a curve, as he has been claiming to be starting his own search engine, u-search.net. Also in the mix is Mike's sister, Leigh, who lives in the basement of the building (near Amsterdam and W. 72nd, so Upper West Side), thanks to Mike helping her with rent. Leigh writes 200-word tidbits for US Weekly and is desperate to marry and have a baby. [and for attention in general, really.]

On his way to take the kids to school, Mike runs into his old boss, Harris, who tells him he should return to work. After some thought, Mike decides to go for it, and the family is very excited that he'll be out of the house more. [so excited, in fact, that it was Annie who set up the whole random meet-up between her husband and Harris.] Mike does a story at City Hall, and is supposed to be promoting his comeback on Today, but breaking news interrupts. [it could also be that Matt Laurer is his nemesis, and that's how the cookie crumbles, LoL.]

The Michael J. Fox Show "Neighbor" (S01E02): Mike goes upstairs to confront a neighbor's loud television, and soon has a small crush on the new resident of the building, Kelly. [she's watching Cake Boss! HOW do you forget to turn on the oven??] To make things less awkward (he talked in his sleep about Kelly), he convinces Harris to come over when Annie invites Kelly for dinner. The two hit it off, but Mike starts cock-blocking, seemingly unable to help himself. [haha! "Who wants to see my Emmys"?!]

Eve's friend, Reese, a lesbian, is coming over, so Eve tells her parents not to be awkward. Ian is the awkward one, though, right up until Eve learns that Reese isn't actually a lesbian, she just kissed a girl at a party. [this was random and we could have done with something more interesting, especially so early in the series.]

And, in a mini-storyline, Leigh is at the playground with Graham when some women think she's a single mother. Loving attention, she goes with it and vents about her struggles. [thankfully this didn't last!]

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.

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: NBC's Comedies and Dramas for 2013

NBC didn't have an amazing 2012-2013 season in any regard. Everyone has already talked to death about the failures of the network trying to use their huge summer sport crowd to build audiences for their comedies. And about how even Univision had better ratings on and off throughout the past year. And about how the network doesn't have anything going for it anymore; the glory days have been over for too long. It's difficult for me to rally against NBC, however, as I think that they have great ideas and concepts... they're just not always suited for the long-term. With so many fresh items in the pipeline, something's gotta stick this year... right?

The good news? I'm actually going to try out all six of their comedies and one drama. The bad news? I'm shocked that I'm so intrigued by their comedies (especially when I'm not very interested in a single one from FOX!)

COMEDY:
About a Boy is an adaptation of the novel and film following the relationship between an immature single guy and a young boy. I really want Benjamin Stockham to make it in SOMETHING (he's from Sons of Tucson and 1600 Penn), so I'll give it a go.

NBC

Growing Up Fisher (formerly Untitled DJ Nash, The Family Guide) is a show about a divorced family where the father is blind, and is based loosely on Nash's life. I'll give it a try simply because I am constantly interested in the life experiences of others who are quite different from myself.

NBC

The Michael J. Fox Show has the eponymous actor playing a NYC newscaster with Parkinson's who raises three children. Like the rest of America, I'm a Fox fan and will give it a shot for him, but I'm curious as to how it will play out.

NBC

Sean Saves the World (previously The Untitled Victor Fresco/Sean Hayes Project and Happiness) is gay father Sean Hayes raising a teen daughter with the help of his mother. I'm game for an episode or two, but this just sounds like a typical NBC loser idea...

NBC

Undateable is a group of friends who struggle with relationships. Bianca Kajlich is the only reason I'll give this one a chance, and I'm not expecting to stay with it very long.

NBC

Welcome to the Family sounds a lot like the original Reba show, just with a Latino babydaddy and without the Barbara Jean factor. I didn't like Reba in its original run but enjoyed it in reruns, so I'll try it.

NBC

DRAMA:
Believe is a paranormal show from J. J. Abrams where a jailbird has to protect a young girl with special powers. Nothing thrilling for me, and I'm not the Abrams aficionado that many are, so I'm out.

The Blacklist has a wanted criminal turning himself in, offering up all his colleagues, and then demanding to work with a rookie FBI agent. Hannibal is already out there, but I wouldn't be interested anyway... it takes a special police procedural to draw me in...

Chicago PD is the much-anticipated spinoff of Chicago Fire, but with cops instead of firemen. I just don't see a big draw, much like I said about Chicago Fire this time last year.

Crisis has the children of many powerful people being kidnapped, though nobody knows why just yet. I don't see this as a series, and I think it sounds entirely too much like CBS's Hostages. Pass.

NBC

Crossbones has been in the pipeline for quite a while now, and I'm still as intrigued as ever... John Malkovich as Blackbeard in 1715. It's still high-concept and very risky, but a period pirate piece just sounds like fun.

Dracula has surprised me a bit. For all of the vampire fans out there in recent years, it has not been the most talked-about show, even with Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as the famous vampire. I'm not huge into the supernatural, and the Victorian London setting with its promises of fancy dresses and large sets is just not enough to get my attention.

Ironside is a remake of the 60s series featuring a detective in a wheelchair whose team solves difficult cases. Maybe I'm not old enough to appreciate this reboot, but it just sounds like any number of other police procedurals to me.

The Night Shift (formerly After Hours) is a workplace comedy set in the wee hours of a San Antonio hospital, focusing on Army doctors. As much as I'm in the market for a medical drama, this one just has no big hook for me. 

Which series strike your fancy?
[quick links to the other networks: ABC, CBS/CW, FOX.]