The first day of network Upfront presentations features a doubleheader, with NBC followed by FOX.  That means another stack of trailers (unlike NBC, FOX also released the materials for its midseason shows), so let’s take a look.  Reminder:  it’s patently unfair to judge a TV series based on a 3-4 minute trailer, except that […]

  In the CBS featurette for its new midseason action-adventure INTELLIGENCE (it’ll take over the Monday 10PM timeslot from Hostages), the show is variously compared to Mission: impossible, Frankenstein, The Six Million Dollar Man and James Bond.  Curiously, the one they left out was Chuck, for which this show’s concept is virtually a dead ringer:  […]

  One of FOX’s big moves for the fall is revamping its Tuesday 8-9PM comedies, shifting sharply in tone from last falls soft duo of Raising Hope and Ben & Kate to a more guy-oriented tone.  Seth MacFarlane’s Dads has the responsibility for kicking off the night, and then the cop comedy BROOKLYN NINE-NINE is […]

  ABC is all-in with Rebel Wilson next fall.  The network has given SUPER FUN NIGHT, which she wrote as well as stars in, its showcase Wednesday 9:30PM slot, behind Modern Family.  Wilson plays one of a trio of pals who’ve never been successful with guys and spend their Friday nights together hanging out at […]

  For any comedy developed at CBS, the grand prize of pilot season is the slot behind THE BIG BANG THEORY on Thursday night.  That prize went this year to Greg Garcia’s THE MILLERS.  It’s an unusual multi-camera comedy for Garcia, with a first-rate cast that includes Will Arnett, Margo Martindale, Beau Bridges and J.B. […]

  In FOX’s new line-up, ALMOST HUMAN will take over the Monday 8PM slot from Bones post-baseball, then serve as lead-in to first Sleepy Hollow and then The Following.  It hails from Bad Robot, JJ Abrams’s mecca of genre TV and movies, and the Fringe connection is even stronger, because it’s written by J.H. Wyman, […]

  ABC rounds out its new Wednesday with BACK IN THE GAME, placed in the 8:30PM hammock slot between The Middle and Modern Family  It’s pretty clearly inspired by the Clint Eastwood movie Trouble With the Curve, with a little Bad News Bears added for flavoring, about the grumpy relationship between an ex-ballplayer (James Caan) […]

  CW has released a mix of promos and short clips from its new series, which don’t do much more than provide the premises and a brief taste of the pilots.  Strong caution should be used in making any judgments from these, although we will anyway.  For THE TOMORROW PEOPLE, which will be paired with […]