Fall TV 2018: New Shows To Watch... And Skip
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MICHAEL AUSIELLO SAYS...
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ALL AMERICAN (The CW): Props to the Arrow-verse network for venturing outside its superhero wheelhouse with this socially relevant, guilty pleasure-ish Friday Night Lights-meets-90210 teen soap and for shattering stereotypes by giving its titular football hero an LGBT BFF. (Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 9/8c)
SINGLE PARENTS (ABC): Fall's best new broadcast comedy succeeds in filling the New Girl-sized hole in my heart and also confirms my long-held suspicions that stealth comedienne Leighton Meester was put on this planet to make us — but most importantly me — laugh. (Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 9:30 pm)
THE NEIGHBORHOOD (CBS): The cast, led by Cedric the Entertainer, Max Greenfield, Beth Behrs and Tichina Arnold, is a veritable comedy dream team. The four of them are, simply put, tremendous fun to watch, even in a mostly mediocre vehicle like this. Here's hoping the sitcom's lackluster writing eventually rises to their level. (Monday, Oct. 1 at 8 pm)
SKIP!
CAMPING (HBO): A comedy series co-created by Girls' Lena Dunham and starring Alias badass Jennifer Garner in her much-anticipated return to TV? I went in assuming it'd be a slam-dunk, and came out disappointed, frustrated and bewildered by the fact that I did not laugh once.
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ANDY SWIFT SAYS...
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CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA (Netflix): This isn't your mother's Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Hell, it isn't even yours... yet. This intriguing, pitch-dark reimagining of the spellcaster's upbringing has enough tricks up its sleeve to make for the perfect Halloween treat. (Season 1 releases Friday, Oct. 26)
ALL AMERICAN (The CW): With its compelling cast, relevant social commentary and intriguing twists (no spoilers!), this football-centric show feels more like it was made for The WB than The CW — and that's a very good thing. It almost makes me want to learn how the game is actually played. (Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 9 pm)
SINGLE PARENTS (ABC): Funnier than you'd expect — and more relatable than you probably care to admit — this ensemble comedy about a group of [See title] "just trying to survive" offers a fun, twisted look at what it means to raise children in America today. Also, good luck getting "Wheels on the Bus" out of your head. (Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 9:30 pm)
SKIP!
HAPPY TOGETHER (CBS): This may not be the absolute worst show of the fall season, but it's pretty darn close — which is especially disappointing given that it stars Damon Wayans Jr. and Amber Stevens West. Not even that charming combination can make up for the sitcom's flimsy premise and tired jokes.
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RYAN SCHWARTZ SAYS...
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FOREVER (Amazon): From Master of None co-creator Alan Yang comes this wholly original story that explores the stasis of marriage... and that's all I can say without spoiling it. Fred Armisen is very good, but it's his former SNL costar Maya Rudolph who truly shines. (Season 1 releases Friday, Sept. 14)
SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS (Facebook Watch): Indie darling-turned-Avengers star Elizabeth Olsen is terrific in this half-hour drama about a grieving widow. Her scenes opposite Leftovers alum Jovan Adepo, who plays her brother-in-law, are especially great. (First four episodes release Tuesday, Sept. 18 at 9 pm, then two episodes-per-week.)
KIDDING (Showtime): Jim Carrey gives the performance of a lifetime as a Mister Rogers-esque children's TV personality who feels as though he's lost control of both his family and his alter ego in the wake of a significant loss. (Airing Sundays at 10 pm)
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HAPPY TOGETHER (CBS): Your time would better be spent revisiting the far superior Damon Wayans Jr. comedy Happy Endings, currently streaming on Hulu. Neither he nor Amber Stevens West (of my beloved Carmichael Show) can salvage this dud.
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REBECCA IANNUCCI SAYS...
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MANIFEST (NBC): I'll admit, I'm having some reservations about getting invested long-term in this supernaturally-tinged series, which stars Josh Dallas and Melissa Roxburgh as passengers on an airplane that has been declared missing for five years. (After all, we know how shows like this tend to pan out.) But the pilot serves up enough intriguing mysteries to pique my interest, and Roxburgh is a standout as distressed survivor Michaela. (Monday, Sept. 24 at 10/9c)
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT (ABC): Despite having a few sitcom-cliché habits to break, this comedy — which centers on a large Irish-Catholic family in the 1970s — is delightful from the start, melding genuinely funny jokes with warm family dynamics like Fresh Off the Boat and The Goldbergs before it. It also has struck gold with the crazy-endearing Jack Gore, who shines as middle child Timmy Cleary. (Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 8:30 pm)
ALL AMERICAN (The CW): This football-focused drama boasts a refreshingly original premise, an uber-appealing cast and well-executed commentary on timely social issues. (Oh, and a really good soundtrack.) Add in some nicely-paced plot twists, and I've already bought my season ticket. (Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 9 pm)
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NEW AMSTERDAM (NBC): I often found Ryan Eggold to be the best part of The Blacklist, so his character's complete lack of charisma (and surplus of know-it-all smugness) in this medical drama was disappointing. I could have looked past it, if only the pilot hadn't also been bloated with too many overwrought subplots.
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MATT WEBB MITOVICH SAYS...
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A MILLION LITTLE THINGS (ABC): I have my concerns, sure. Set in motion by a suicide, this series is inherently dark, and if the tune-in promos haven't shied away from hammering away at it, I can't imagine the show itself will. And yet... I have a feeling that in exploring the mystery of "Why?" (as well as "How can best friends not really know one another?"), this drama will speak to the Big Chill and This Is Us fan inside me. (Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 10/9c)
YOU (Lifetime): This was nowhere near my radar (I haven't turned my TV's knob to Lifetime since UnREAL Season 2), but the buzz got to me, and I tuned in live for the premiere and was transfixed. Penn Badgley is doing something special here, Elizabeth Lail is fittingly luminous as the object of an obsession and I am curious to see where this stalker tale goes. (Airing Sundays at 10 pm)
SINGLE PARENTS (ABC): Amid a spectacularly dismal crop of new sitcoms — after screening four clunkers in a row, I was ready to wave a white flag — this one restored my hope to ever laugh at TV again. If you're a parent (single or otherwise), the initial premise (ugh, overbearing class moms!) strikes a chord, while the ensemble is top-notch across the board. (Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 9:30 pm)
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I FEEL BAD (NBC): As much as I have enjoyed Sarayu Blue (No Tomorrow, Monday Mornings) and Paul Adelstein (Prison Break, Private Practice) in previous shows, this sitcom lacks any meaningful, fresh hook. The pilot is loaded with recurring groan-worthy gags, including a workplace discussion that simply is not allowed to co-exist — even for ironically role-reversing comedy's sake — with today's #MeToo times.
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KIM ROOTS SAYS...
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SINGLE PARENTS (ABC): The new series, in which Saturday Night Live grad Taran Killam plays a solo dad desperately in need of some adult friends, somehow manages to have: cute kids who aren't corny; parenting humor that isn't hackneyed; and a freaking gold mine in Leighton Meester, who could give a master class in comedic timing. But honestly? I probably would've recommended the show for the premiere's Moana singalong alone. (Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 9:30/8:30c)
THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE (Netflix): Sure, there are spooks and jump scares aplenty in what the streaming video service calls a "reimagining" of Shirley Jackson's classic horror novel. But what'll suck you in is the cast (Game of Thrones' Michiel Huisman, Wayward Pines' Carla Gugino and Twilight's Elizabeth Reaser, among others), the eerie pacing and the tragic way a stay in the titular abode led to madness that reverberated through the series' central family for decades. (Season 1 releases Friday, Oct. 12)
A MILLION LITTLE THINGS (ABC): From the promotional materials to the soundtrack, I was prepared to write the new drama off as the Alphabet Net's stab at creating its own This Is Us. But after watching the pilot, I realized I was wrong: The friends at the center of Things aren't actually family like the Pearsons, and the vibe among them is decidedly different — there's a little more room for secrets, say — because of it. That's a good thing. Think more Brothers & Sisters than Jack & Rebecca & Kevin & Randall & Kate, and you're in the right neighborhood. (Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 10 pm)
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I FEEL BAD (NBC): It's tough to believe that the woman who played Leslie Knope is behind this meh rumination on the "Working mothers actually can't have it all!" cliché... but here we are. (Also: In light of the #MeToo movement, the pilot's "Am I doable?" conversation in the main character's workplace — an exchange that is played for laughs — seems extra icky.) (Preview airs Wednesday, Sept. 19 at 10 pm; premiere airs Thursday, Oct. 4 at 9:30 pm)
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DAVE NEMETZ SAYS...
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SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS (Facebook Watch): Elizabeth Olsen delivers an astounding performance as a young widow piecing her life back together after her husband's death in this beautifully observed drama that never becomes a downer, despite the subject matter. (First four episodes release Tuesday, Sept. 18 at 9 pm, then two episodes-per-week.)
SINGLE PARENTS (ABC): Easily the funniest and most promising new sitcom of the fall, with a refreshingly cynical take on parenthood and a fantastic ensemble cast led by Taran Killam and Leighton Meester. (Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 9:30 pm)
CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA (Netflix): I'm happy to report that the highly anticipated Riverdale offshoot is altogether ooky, casting a potent spell by combining a sly sense of ghoulish humor with a genuine creepiness. (Season 1 available Friday, Oct. 26)
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THE NEIGHBORHOOD (CBS): This culture-clash sitcom is bad enough when its stars are tossing around tired punchlines, but gets even worse when it makes ham-fisted attempts to tackle thorny racial issues. Steer clear of this part of town.
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VLADA GELMAN SAYS...
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YOU (Lifetime): Equal parts charming and creepy, Penn Badgley shines in this dark exploration of what happens when obsession is fueled by technology. The smart, suspenseful stalker drama left me conflicted in the best possible way — reminder: Badgley's Joe is a baaaad guy — and made me want to delete all my social media accounts. (Airing Sundays at 10/9c)
THE CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA (Netflix): While I'm not yet spellbound, the spooky drama has definitely lured me into its coven with a wicked cast — Miranda Otto is not to be messed with as Zelda — and a potentially sinister vibe. (Season 1 releases Friday, Oct. 26)
SINGLE PARENTS (ABC): From the talented adult ensemble — Taran Killam is endearingly funny — to the hilarious kids, the cast just gels in this fall's winner for The Only Comedy Pilot to Make Me Laugh. And it doesn't hurt that Leighton Meester gets to show off those comedy chops she tapped into on the short-lived Making History. (Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 9:30 pm)
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HAPPY TOGETHER (CBS): Damon Wayans Jr. and Amber Stevens West deserve to be happy together in a much better show. (How do you even carry on the "rock star moves in with a boring married couple" premise for a whole season when the jokes feel tired before the pilot is even over?)