Fall Pilots

PREMIERING TONIGHT: THE SKED Pilot Review – ABC’s “Lucky 7″”

Posted September 24, 2013 by Mitch Salem

  Read All Our Fall Pilot Reports here and Midseason Pilot Reports here. LUCKY 7:  Tuesday 10PM on ABC – If Nothing Else Is On… LUCKY 7 doesn’t feel like a jackpot.  Although its premise pilot doesn’t necessarily give a clear idea of what the series will be, the seemingly irresistible plot hook–a half-dozen ordinary […]

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2014-15 TV Season

NIELSENWAR 2014-15 Trailer Review: ABC’s “Black-ish”

Posted May 13, 2014 by Mitch Salem

    BLACK-ISH:  Wednesday 9:30PM on ABC THE FACTS:  Anthony Anderson plays the head of an African-American family that lives a prosperous life in a mostly white neighborhood, and he tries to hold onto some part of his culture even though his assimilated kids, wife and father mostly couldn’t care less.  The series creator is […]

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2014-15 TV Season

THE SKED Fall Pilot Report: CBS’s “Stalker”

Posted August 27, 2014 by Mitch Salem

  STALKER:  Wednesday 10PM on CBS starting October 1 – Change the Channel PLAYERS:  Series creator Kevin Williamson, of The Following, The Vampire Diaries and Scream fame.  Stars Maggie Q and Dylan McDermott, and a supporting cast that includes Victor Rasuk, Mariana Klaveno and Elisabeth Rohm (the latter added in a recasting after the pilot […]

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2014-15 TV Season

NIELSENWAR 2014-15: CW Makes Its Decisions

Posted May 8, 2014 by Mitch Salem

  Once again, CW demonstrated that it operates under different economics than the other broadcast networks.  Much of its revenue comes from episodes streamed online via Netflix and Hulu, which makes sometimes puny on-air ratings acceptable.  Also, virtually everything it airs is produced by one of its in-house studios, Warner Bros Television or CBS Television […]

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2014-15 TV Season

NIELSENWAR 2014-15 Trailer Review: CW’s “The Flash”

Posted May 15, 2014 by Mitch Salem

  (NOTE:  as of Thursday afternoon, CW had only released a 30-second teaser for its new JANE THE VIRGIN, and nothing at all for midseason shows iZOMBIE and THE MESSENGERS.  We’ll post reviews of the rest of the network’s trailers as soon as they’re available.) THE FLASH:  Tuesday 8PM on CW THE FACTS:  Viewers of […]

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2016-17 TV Season

UPDATED – NIELSENWAR UPFRONTS: ABC Fall Schedule

Posted May 17, 2016 by Mitch Salem

  ABC’s fall line-up is a mix of the audacious and the not-so-much. UPDATED with reactions to trailers, which are available here.     ABC needed to shake things up for next season, and to an extent it has, although even if things go well, there will be more to do.  It’s relying on its […]

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Fall Pilots

PREMIERING TONIGHT – THE SKED SERIES PREMIERE REVIEW: CW’s “Reign”

Posted October 17, 2013 by Mitch Salem

  Read All Our Fall Pilot Reports here. REIGN:  Thursday 9PM on CW – Potential DVR Alert The CW is often–and rightly–considered a network of very limited ambitions, with just two modes of operation:  rom-com soap and supernatural soap.  But its new REIGN, while well fortified with suds, is as big a swing for the […]

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2014-15 TV Season

NIELSENWAR 2014-15 Trailer Review: NBC’s “A To Z”

Posted May 11, 2014 by Mitch Salem

  A TO Z:  Thursday 9:30PM on NBC THE FACTS:  The title refers to Andrew (Ben Feldman) and Zelda (Cristin Milioti), who both work at an online dating company, and who, since this is a rom-com, are of course fated for each other.  The series creator is Ben Queen, whose first series this is, and […]

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