The beginning of the summer means many things, but for TV viewers, it heralds the onslaught of advertisements for the networks’ new slate of fall shows. In the coming weeks, CliqueClack will be providing previews of many of the new shows, but I’ve watched all of the new fall dramas (or more properly, hour-long shows) and wanted to share a quick overview of all of them. If there’s something you’ve heard about that isn’t covered here, it’s likely because it is being held until later in the season (Like FOX’s The Following, which was my favorite of all of the pilots I’ve watched).
NBC
Revolution is a high-concept serialized drama; the sort that hasn’t really done well in recent years. The cast is, for the most part, relatively unknown, but audiences should recognize both Giancarlo Esposito (Once Upon a Time, Breaking Bad) and David Lyons (The Cape, ER). The plot is interesting enough, but the execution was shaky. I’m interested, but I don’t have high hopes for audiences to get hooked.
Chicago Fire has a better chance, as it is easily more accessible, but I wasn’t exactly blown away here either. The cast is solid enough, lead by Jesse Spencer (House) and Taylor Kinney (Trauma, The Vampire Diaries), and backed up by folks like Laura German (Hawaii 5-0, Happy Town), Eamon Walker (Kings, Oz) and Monica Raymond (Lie to Me, The Good Wife). If the show can work the kinks out, the only obstacle it has to overcome is television’s long history of shows like this … erm … flaming out.
CBS
CBS’s most controversial new show is the modern day reimaging of the Sherlock Holmes story, Elementary staring Jonny Lee Miller (Eli Stone, Dexter) as Holmes and Lucy Liu (Southland, Ally McBeal) as Dr. Watson. I love Sherlock as much as the next guy, but the thing is that there aren’t that many “next guys” in the States that have seen it. I’m a big fan of Miller and he does well here, and the change in Watson’s gender works much better than I had expected it to.
Vegas probably surprised as much as any other new drama this season. I thought — after the failure of my favorite period piece last year, Pan Am – that I wouldn’t want to fall down that particular rabbit hole again. Vegas proved me wrong; it’s a solidly-written, well-produced show with a great cast. Dennis Quaid, in his first TV role, and Michael Chiklis (The Shield, No Ordinary Family) do good work, but it’s really Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix, Momento) that stood out.
Made in Jersey only really stands out for irritating me with its marketing campaign, “Introducing Janet Montgomery,” like those of us who had watched her on The Human Target and Entourage suddenly forgot who she was. I wanted to like it, but it felt like the whole show was trying way to hard to sell us that the very British Montgomery is the quintessential “Jersey Girl.”
ABC
All throughout pilot season, the show I was most hoping for was Last Resort from Shawn Ryan. The cast is full of familiar faces, like Andre Braugher (Homicide, Men of a Certain Age), Scott Speedman (Felicity, Underworld) Daisy Betts (Persons Unknown) and many others (Including one of my favorite up-and-comers Jesse Schram). The pilot left me a little wanting, though. I liked it, but I was never really sold on the tone the characters set.
666 Park Avenue is another high-concept show from the alphabet-net, staring Terry O’Quinn (LOST, Hawaii 5-0), Vanessa Williams (Desperate Housewives), Rachel Taylor (Another favorite of mine from Grey’s Anatomy and Charlie’s Angels) and David Annable (Brothers & Sisters, Reunion). Fellow Clacker Chuck has already done a more thorough preview, but I’ll say that while he’ll be giving it a chance, I doubt I will be.
However, ABC also is premiering my favorite of the fall pilots, Nashville. I’m not sure how anyone on the planet could not be a fan of Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights, American Horror Story) at this point, and she does a fantastic job here as a country music star who might not be the queen of the genre she once was. Hayden Panettiere (Heroes) and Powers Booth (Hatfields & McCoys, Deadwood) are also very good. Nashville is everything good that I’d originally heard of the original Dallas.
Clacked by Ivey West 
on Jun 15, 2012 @ 14:44 EST5EDT
. . . . .
Ivey: trooper, takes’em for the team
I’m sorry, but you can’t have a show called Vegas without a character named Dan Tanna! This is very confusing to me because I thought it was a remake of the “classic” Robert Urich show! And the S needs to be a $!
. . . . .
Chuck <——- blinded by the (Vegas) light(s)
*POST AUTHOR*
Sour grapes!
I didn’t really expect to like Vegas, but it is solidly made and has a great cast. I’m not so sure the setting can sustain my interest over time, however.
I thought Arrow was going to be a total mess but the trailer totally changed my mind (that and I also love Katie Cassidy). I can’t wait to see this one!
“Beauty and the Beast” looks quite horrid. Having seen the original series which actually has a beast and having loved it I keep wondering why all these “beasts” lately are actually really amazingly good looking guys.
Also can’t wait to see the new Sherlock, I like Lucy Liu a lot and she was outstanding in Southland earlier this year.
Arrow was by far my favorite of the pilots I’ve watched so far … LOVE that The CW has paired this with Supernatural — going to be a great Wednesday night!
I wish I had liked Elementary better than I did. It was not one of my favrorite JLM performances, unfortunately, and when all is said and done, it’s just going to be a weak procedural, nothing special. There is ZERO chemistry between JLM and Lucy Liu. I hope the show finds its groove and I eat my words, but the pilot was underwhelming.
*POST AUTHOR*
I’m not so sure I agree with you on Elementary. I don’t think it was weak at all and I enjoyed JLM’s performance :P
Elementary was weark. The chemistry between Holmes and Watson wasn’t there, and I felt like Sherlock was coming off a bit more goofy that he was neurotic and clever.
Vegas sounds like a good concept and looks like it has a good cast. I’ll give it a viewing, thanks.
What do u have against the awesome kreuk? she`s awesome!
*POST AUTHOR*
A great deal many things, sadly, primarily a lack of range as an actor.
- Arrow and Beauty and the Beast both really seem to have taken pages from Smallville. Arrow took everything that I loved (Rich family battling among each other, Green Arrow). Beauty took everything I couldn’t stand (Corny love story, teen melodrama, Kristen Kreuk). Also is it just me or does the mansion in the Arrow extended preview look exactly like Luther mansion?
– I haven’t watched a CBS drama in a long time because everything they do feels like a repeat. Elementary is going to have the same problem. Its just going to be like all of their other procedurals with the names Sherlock and Watson thrown in. Vegas however at least looks like it will be more than just the CBS success formula. The mix of elements at play have a lot of promise.
– Oh Revolution… You think you can fool me by saying you are made by JJ Abrams and Eric Kripke? You think you having Gus Fring on a horse will finish luring me in? You are a sci-fi show on NBC. I already fell for the trap set by The Event. All the promise of the concept will be squandered in favor of pure bullshit followed by a swift cancellation.
– And ABC… You are going to use Mrs. Coach to trick me into watching a show about country music? Well nicely played because it worked. As long as don’t instantly turn me off like the American Horror Story pilot did, you should at least get 3 episodes viewed by me.
*POST AUTHOR*
re: the Queen Mansion: YES!!! I thought I was the only one who was thinking that. VERY similar.
I wouldn’t knock CBS just because they do a bunch of procedurals, but I do understand being tired of the genre. For me to get into a new procedural, there has to be a hook, and in this case, it is that I’m a big fan of Miller.
As far as NBC goes, I’m not blaming The Event on them; in fact, it doesn’t really enter into the equation for me, because after the second episode of the The Event, I was pretty much out the door. The Revolution Pilot isn’t anywhere near as good as The Event’s first episode, but the seeds are there. I’m interested, but not getting my hopes up just yet.