Upfronts Part 2! NBC. My thoughts on Fox are at the link. Stay tuned for ABC, CBS and The CW. Okay, so my thoughts on returning, cancelled, and new shows as well as show info and trailers for what’s ahead… let’s get into it!
My first thoughts on returning shows… This Is Us was renewed for not one, not two, but THREE seasons. This kind of pickup is unprecedented for NBC and completely well deserved. I am so excited for what’s to come with This Is Us. Congrats to all involved! I’m also really excited for the renewal of my other NBC faves Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Good Girls, The Good Place, Superstore, and Manifest. Who Do You Think You Are? is also back. Finally! I love this show and wish it was more consistent. Hopefully this time it will be. Only time will tell.
Thoughts On Notable Cancelled Series:
Trial & Error never found its audience but also wasn’t really marketed well so it just wasn’t going to happen. A diamond in the rough remained in the rough. I never did get to check out I Feel Bad and Midnight, Texas this TV season but now they are canceled. So. Marlon was also canceled, which I watched on Hulu each week when I got a chance. It was a fun show and I wish it got more love and time to build its audience. It was great while it lasted. Onward!
Thoughts On New Series:
Starting with dramas… I’m not the audience for Bluff City Law and that’s literally all I have to say about that. The premise for Council of Dads sounds promising, it’s from Jerry Bruckheimer Television, and it also stars Sarah Wayne Callies so I’m going to check this one out. Lincoln is inspired by The Bone Collector, which, don’t really need that but since it’s coming, sure, I’ll watch. There’s a great cast and crew behind this one so this might be a long haul watch for me. We’ll see. My most anticipated new NBC drama however is easily Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. It’s NBC latest music drama and has a killer cast; Jane Levy, Skylar Astin, Peter Gallagher, Alex Newell, John Clarence Stewart, Carmen Cusack and Mary Steenburgen. Yes, yes, yes, I am SO in for this. Sign me up. I’m here for it! Yesss!!! Hopefully this lands better than Smash and Rise. NBC so clearly wants a music drama to soar on their network and I’m going to be with them every step of the way as they continue to figure it out.
As for the comedies… Not the audience for Perfect Harmony is on the surface, a no. But I’ll watch the Pilot before I judge too harshly. It just feels too tropey at the moment so hopefully there is much more to this show than what we initially see. Sunnyside is definitely timely and needed in this climate, I’d say. It doesn’t look amazing but it does look funny and heartwarming and perfect for NBC. I’m not an immigrant so I will be watching but also looking to see what those who are portrayed on the show think of the show overall. I’m all for creative license but in this climate, this kind of show needs to really clearly know what it wants to say and nail its execution because there’s a lot this show can say and so much that can get through to the viewers who need to hear it the most if they play it right. We’ll see soon enough how it fairs. Fran Drescher stars in Indebted and that’s all I need to know to watch this every week. The Kenan Show is long, long, long, long, long overdue. I am SO HAPPY that Kenan Thompson is finally getting his due. FINALLY. Hollywood, what is wrong with you for waiting this long? Ugh. I will be watching and loving every single minute of this comedy. My only complaint is this is midseason and not right out of the gate in the fall lineup.
Finally, on the unscripted front, Small Fortune is a competition show that comes from across the pond. I can’t say that I’ll check it out though as I’m not the audience for it. That’s My Jam expands upon Jimmy Fallon’s “Wheel of Musical Impressions” and I struggle to understand how this can be exciting to watch for a half hour every single week but I’m down to check it out of course and hope that it takes off as well as the segment, which I love. Okay, onto the next part….
New series are in CAPS.
MONDAY
8-10 The Voice
10-11 BLUFF CITY LAW
TUESDAY
8-9 The Voice
9-10 This Is Us
10-11 New Amsterdam
WEDNESDAY
8-9 Chicago Med
9-10 Chicago Fire
10-11 Chicago P.D.
THURSDAY
8-8:30 Superstore
8:30-9 PERFECT HARMONY
9-9:30 The Good Place
9:30-10 SUNNYSIDE
10-11 Law & Order: SVU
FRIDAY
8-9 The Blacklist
9-11 Dateline NBC
SATURDAY
8-10 Dateline Saturday Night Mystery
10-11 Saturday Night Live (encores)
SUNDAY
7-8:20 Football Night in America
8:20-11 NBC Sunday Night Football
Midseason Comedy: Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Will & Grace, INDEBTED, THE KENAN SHOW
Midseason Drama: Manifest, Blindspot: The Final Season, COUNCIL OF DADS, ZOEY’S EXTRAORDINARY PLAYLIST, LINCOLN
Unscripted: Who Do You Think You Are?, America’s Got Talent: The Champions, Ellen’s Game of Games, Little Big Shots, World of Dance, The Wall, American Ninja Warrior, America’s Got Talent, SMALL FORTUNE, SONGLAND, THAT’S MY JAM
On the Bubble: Abby’s, A.P. Bio, The Enemy Within, The Village, The Titan Games, The Village
NEW DRAMA:
Coming from a famous Memphis family known for taking on injustice, brilliant lawyer Sydney Strait used to work at her father Elijah’s celebrated law firm until their tumultuous relationship got in the way. After barely speaking to him for years, Sydney is suddenly thrust back into the family fold when her philanthropist mother passes away unexpectedly. In the wake of her loss, hoping to reconnect with the daughter he loves, Elijah asks Sydney to rejoin his firm. She agrees because despite her lingering resentment and distrust, she knows that working alongside her father is her best hope at changing the world … if they can ever get along.
The cast includes Jimmy Smits, Caitlin McGee, Scott Shepherd, Barry Sloane, Michael Luwoye, MaameYaa Boafo, Stony Blyden and Jayne Atkinson.
Dean Georgaris will write and executive produce. Michael Aguliar and David Janollari will executive produce.
“Bluff City Law” is produced by Universal Television in association with David Janollari Entertainment.
COUNCIL OF DADS
When Scott, a loving father of four, has his entire life’s plan thrown into upheaval by an unexpected health scare, he calls on a few of his closest allies to step in as back-up dads for every stage of his growing family’s life. Scott assembles a trusted group of role models that includes Anthony, his oldest friend; Larry, his AA sponsor; and Oliver, his surgeon and best friend to his wife, Robin. These men agree to devote themselves to supporting and guiding Scott’s amazing family through all the triumphs and challenges life has to offer – just in case he ever can’t be there to do so himself.
The cast includes Sarah Wayne Callies, Clive Standen, Tom Everett Scott, J. August Richards, Blue Chapman, Emjay Anthony, Michele Weaver, Thalia Tran, Steven Silver and Michael O’Neill.
Tony Phelan & Joan Rater will write and executive produce. Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman and KristieAnne Reed will executive produce. James Oh and Bruce Feiler will produce.
“Council of Dads” is produced by Universal Television in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Midwest Livestock Productions.
ZOEY’S EXTRAORDINARY PLAYLIST
In this joyous and celebratory drama, Zoey Clarke is a whip-smart computer coder forging her way in San Francisco. After an unusual event she starts to hear the innermost wants and desires of the people around her through songs. At first, she questions her own sanity but soon realizes this unwanted curse may just be an incredibly wonderful gift.
The cast includes Jane Levy, Skylar Astin, Peter Gallagher, Alex Newell, John Clarence Stewart, Carmen Cusack and Mary Steenburgen.
Austin Winsberg will write and executive produce. Richard Shepard will direct and executive produce (pilot only). Paul Feig, Jessie Henderson, Kim Tannenbaum, Eric Tannenbaum, David Blackman and Daniel Inkeles will executive produce.
“Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” is produced by Lionsgate in association with the Tannenbaum Company, FeigCo Entertainment and Universal Music Group.
LINCOLN
Inspired by the best-selling book “The Bone Collector,” former NYPD detective and forensic genius Lincoln Rhyme was at the top of his game until a serious accident at the hands of a notorious serial killer forces him out of the field. When Amelia Sachs, an intuitive young officer who’s got her own gift for profiling, finds herself hot on the killer’s trail, Rhyme in turn finds a partner for this new game of cat and mouse. As the unlikely detective duo joins forces to crack the city’s most confounding cases, they must also race to take down the enigmatic “Bone Collector” who brought them together.
The cast includes Russell Hornsby, Arielle Kebbel, Brían F. O’Byrne, Tate Ellington, Courtney Grosbeck, Ramses Jimenez, Brooke Lyons, Roslyn Ruff and Michael Imperioli.
VJ Boyd and Mark Bianculli will write and executive produce. Seth Gordon will direct and executive produce. Avi Nir, Peter Traugott and Rachel Kaplan will executive produce.
NEW COMEDY:
Bradley Whitford stars in this comedy about finding inspiration in the most unlikely places. When former Princeton music professor Arthur Cochran unexpectedly stumbles into choir practice at a small-town church, he finds a group of singers that are out of tune in more ways than one. Despite the ultimate clash of sensibilities, Arthur and his newfound cohorts may just be the perfect mix of individuals to help each other reinvent and rediscover a little happiness, just when they all need it most.
The cast includes Bradley Whitford, Anna Camp, Tymberlee Hill, Rizwan Manji, Will Greenberg, Geno Segers and Spencer Allport.
Lesley Wake Webster will write and executive produce. Jason Winer will direct and executive produce. Bradley Whitford, Adam Anders and Jon Radler will executive produce.
“Perfect Harmony” is produced by 20thCentury Fox Television and Small Dog Picture Company.
Garrett Modi was living the American Dream. As the youngest New York City Councilman ever, he was rubbing elbows with the political elite, attending star-studded parties and was the pride of Queens. But instead of spending his time in office helping the people that got him elected, he lost his way amidst the power and glamour of politics. When his downward spiral got him busted for public intoxication (and downright stupidity), it was all caught on tape and ended his career. Now, Garrett’s crashing with his sister, Mallory, and wondering where it all went wrong. That is, until he’s hired by a diverse group of hopefuls who dream of becoming American citizens and believe he can help – giving him a new sense of purpose and a chance for redemption, as long as he remembers where he came from.
The cast includes Kal Penn, Diana Maria Riva, Joel Kim Booster, Kiran Deol, Poppy Liu, Moses Storm and Samba Schutte.
Kal Penn and Matt Murray will write and executive produce. Michael Schur will be supervising executive producer. David Miner and Dan Spilo will executive produce.
“Sunnyside” is produced by Universal Television in association with Fremulon and 3 Arts Entertainment.
INDEBTED
Young parents Dave and Rebecca are ready to reclaim their life after years of diapers and sleepless nights. However, things take an unexpected turn when Dave’s parents show up unannounced and broke, leaving Dave with no choice but to open the door to the people who gave him everything. But these boomerang parents aren’t great with boundaries and the question of who’s parenting who quickly becomes blurred in this multi-generational comedy starring Fran Drescher and Adam Pally as mother and son.
The cast includes Adam Pally, Abby Elliott, Steven Weber and Fran Drescher.
Dan Levy will write and executive produce. Doug Robinson will executive produce.
“Indebted” is produced by Sony Pictures Television in association with Doug Robinson Productions.
THE KENAN SHOW
In this family comedy, Kenan Thompson strives to be a super dad to his two adorable girls while simultaneously balancing his job and a father-in-law who “helps” in the most inappropriate ways.
The cast includes Kenan Thompson, Punam Patel, Dani Lockett, Dannah Lockett and Andy Garcia.
Jackie Clarke will write and executive produce. Chris Rock will direct and executive produce. Kenan Thompson, Lorne Michaels and Andrew Singer will executive produce.
“The Kenan Show” is produced by Universal Television in association with Broadway Video.