CliqueClack2013 ABC drama previews: what the Magic Eight Ball says
This September will bring a whole slate of new television on the broadcast networks. Curious what the dramas will be like? Today CliqueClack previews some of the new shows coming to ABC this year.
For most, summer is the time that generally means less TV watching. Sure there’s some great stuff on cable — more and more each year — but May marks the end of the networks’ regular TV season. For me, however, the end of one season means it’s time to look forward to what is coming in September.
The past couple weeks, I’ve been working my way through all of the drama pilots that the broadcast networks have been kind enough to share with us to preview, and I’m pretty excited. There’s a lot of good television that will be premiering in the next year: there’s a lot of high-concept stuff that accompanies a nice dearth of procedurals.
Of course, there are a couple of stinkers in the bunch as well. One or two were so bad they left me scratching my head and questioning the sanity of those with decision-making authority — then again, I look back at network executive’s track record in the last couple years, and I shouldn’t be surprised.
Over the next couple of days, we will preview the dramas coming in the next year. Today, we’ll be taking a look at ABC’s offerings.
Betrayal (Sundays 10:00 PM)
Betrayal was probably the first big surprise of the fall pilots to me. The logline did literally nothing for me: “A couple falls into an affair only to find out their lives were become more complicated than a ‘simple’ affair.” But the pilot was intriguing; I was drawn in, mainly because of the lead Hannah Ware (Boss – also set in Chicago); there’s also a prologue and epilogue scene set in the future that I’d like to see resolved. That being said, I’m curious if this show will be able to build an audience; like FOX’s Lonestar a couple of years back, it is going to have difficulty with audiences that like to find someone to pull for.
Verdict: I’m giving it a couple of episodes to see how the show evolves past the pilot.
Magic Eight Ball Chances of a Second Season: Ask again later.
Killer Women (Midseason)
As an unabashed Battlestar Galactica fan, the idea of Number 6 Tricia Helfer as a badass Texas Ranger (and for those that love their Cylons, Michael Trucco has a small role in the pilot as her brother). I liked Killer Women, but it seemed the world was almost a little small. Also, the show didn’t really tread on any new ground we didn’t see in the short-lived – but underappreciated – Chase.
Verdict: I’m in … for now.
Magic Eight Ball Chances of a Second Season: Reply hazy try again.
Lucky 7 (Tuesdays 10:00PM)
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a network drama focused on a group of lottery winners. FOX’s Windfall was a wholly forgettable affair. ABC is banking on Lucky 7, based on BBC One’s The Syndicate will do better. I don’t think it will. There’s very little I found engaging; the only thing that really jumped off the screen was the one member of the group who didn’t cash in. His family’s story is about the only thing I’m interested in following.
Verdict: Not even the fact that ABC’s scheduled Lucky 7 at a time where my DVR could easily handle it will force me to give it a chance.
Magic Eight Ball Chances of a Second Season: Don’t count on it.
ABC pilots not yet available to press: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Tuesdays 8:00PM), Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (Midseason)
One Comment on “2013 ABC drama previews: what the Magic Eight Ball says”
Just checked out Resurrection and it’s pretty damn good. Hopefully won’t get too much like Touch but I think it’s far enough off of that to work. I also think Omar Epps is underused (or oddly used), but that can easily change.