Though I’m behind on TV, you don’t have to be! Below is handy report card on the status of piloted programs scheduled to premiere sometime during the 2014-2015 season, based on the Fall Selection entry published in the summer, as of the end of the official viewing season. I will also follow up with an end of season report card for long-running series covered by this blog.
Piloted series previously reported as canceled have been deleted from the list. The Mid-Season Report Card can be read here.
Thanks to TVLine for helping a girl out.
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A.D., NBC
PREMIERE DATE | 2015
WHEN | Midseason
WHAT | The 12-episode miniseries picks up where History’s The Bible left off. In the dark days after Jesus’ betrayal and death, a perfect storm brews in the Holy Land, fueled by social injustice, Roman military oppression and religious unrest. High priests and the Herod dynasty vie for power. Zealot revolutionaries turn to violence to regain what they believe is their promised land. And in the face of terrible odds and brutal persecution, the small band of Jesus’ disciples stand against the combined might of Rome and their own local authorities. In a generation of rebellion, war, famine, and carnage, who can they trust? Who should they fear? Will tomorrow bring a violent death? For many, it does … but others survive, and as the storm around them breaks, the fate of Israel, of Rome and of their faith is decided.
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I initially passed on this Biblical miniseries, being that it’s really not my cup of tea. But to each his or her own. I prefer English Breakfast.
STATUS: It is still currently airing. Episode 10 of twelve will air this Sunday. No renewal decision has yet been announced, but ever reliable TVLine.com is calling renewal a “long shot.”
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Allegiance, NBC
PREMIERE DATE | 2015
WHEN | Midseason
WHO | Hope Davis (The Newsroom), Scott Cohen (The Carrie Diaries, Necessary Roughness), Gavin Stenhouse (the UK’s Iconicles), Margarita Levieva (Revenge), Kenneth Choi (Ironside), Annie Ilonzeh (Arrow), Morgan Spector (Person of Interest)
WHAT | Thriller revolving around the O’Connor family and their son Alex, a decorated American war hero and CIA analyst who is a true patriot and loves his country and family. Unbeknownst to him, both of his parents and his sister are part of a dormant Russian sleeper cell that has just been reactivated. Once the parents are reluctantly pulled back in, the stakes rise as they are coerced into spying on their own son and turning him against his country.
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I initially passed on a TV show that blends The Americans with Mr. and Mrs. Smith and brings retro nostalgia for the Cold War once again to the forefront.
STATUS: Officially canceled.
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American Crime, ABC
PREMIERE DATE | March 15, 2015
WHO | Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives), Timothy Hutton (Leverage), Benito Martinez (Sons of Anarchy), W. Earl Brown (Deadwood), Penelope Ann Miller (Mistresses), Richard Cabral
WHAT | Set in California’s Central Valley, it centers on a racially charged murder and the subsequent trial, which are examined through the personal lives of the players involved. The case takes on greater meaning in the community, bringing to the forefront America’s hardened views on race, class and gender politics.
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I hesitantly picked up this show, fearing it might be derivative of the film Crash, which was controversial and somewhat manipulative in its Best Picture winning presentation. I have not watched any episodes yet, but it seems to be critically well received.
STATUS: Officially renewed.
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Aquarius, NBC
PREMIERE DATE | May 28, 2015
WHO | David Duchovny (Californication)
WHAT | The “event” series follows a 1960s cop who is tracking serial killer Charles Manson’s rise to popularity.
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PICKUP OR PASS?
VERDICT: Pick up. This may just be morbid curiosity on my part, and I don’t know how I feel about a series that documents a serial killer’s rise to popularity when that killer is still alive. Also, I was not aware that Californication is apparently over. I do, however, love David Duchovny thanks to his stint as Mulder, and the subject of Manson’s cult like following is somewhat fascinating given its time, at the heyday of peace and love. Also, the program has a catchy title. This could be bad, but I think I want to give it a shot.
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The Astronaut Wives Club, ABC
PREMIERE DATE | 2015
WHEN | Midseason
WHO | JoAnna Garcia Swisher (Once Upon a Time, Better With You, Gossip Girl), Odette Annable (House), Azure Parsons (True Detective), Zoe Boyle (Downton Abbey, Sons of Anarchy), Desmond Harrington (Dexter, Gossip Girl), Erin Cummings (Spartacus: Blood & Sand), Dominique McElligott (Hell on Wheels), Bret Harrison (Reaper), Aaron McCusker (Shameless, Dexter), Joel Johnstone (The Newsroom), Kenneth Mitchell (Switched at Birth, Jericho)
WHAT | Chronicles the lives of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo mission crews’ spouses.
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PICKUP OR PASS?
VERDICT: Pass. I think this is a remake of a film; even if it’s not, it sounds like a cross between Apollo 13 and The First Wives Club. If it is reviewed well, I might reconsider, as I do have some interest in the space program. Yet, I feel this is going to be a dated throwback to decades gone by, complete with gossip and wifely fretting over the husbands that risk their lives to go into space, which doesn’t do much for me.
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Backstrom, Fox
PREMIERE DATE | January 22, 2015
WHO | Rainn Wilson (The Office), Kristoffer Polaha (Ringer), Dennis Haysbert (24), Page Kennedy, Beatrice Rosen (Blue Mountain State), Thomas Dekker (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), Genevieve Angelson (House of Lies)
WHAT | Offensive, irascible Detective Everett Backstrom tries, and fails, to change his self-destructive behavior while leading his team, the Serious Crimes Unit, as they navigate Portland’s most sensitive cases.
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I initially picked up this new showcase for the erstwhile Dwight Schrute, Rainn Wilson, thinking that between him and the fact that it was created by the man responsible for Bones, it was worth a shot. I have not watched any episodes of this program yet.
STATUS: Officially canceled. Because it’s a FOX show, I’m going to check it out and see if it really merited cancellation or not. After all, we know their track record.
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Battle Creek, CBS
PREMIERE DATE | March 1, 2015
WHEN | Sundays
WHO | Dean Winters (Law & Order: SVU), Josh Duhamel (Las Vegas), Kal Penn (House), Janet McTeer (The White Queen), Damon Herriman (Justified), Aubrey Dollar, Edward Fordham Jr.
WHAT | Two detectives with very different worldviews are teamed up and must answer the question: Are cynicism, guile and deception enough to clean up the semi-mean streets of Battle Creek, Mich., in the face of a complete lack of resources; or is the exact opposite true — it takes naïveté, trust and a boatload of resources?
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I initially picked up this procedural cop drama because Battle Creek is a city in my home state of Michigan. That was basically the only reason. I haven’t seen any of this program yet.
STATUS: Officially canceled. I will still check it out – morbid curiosity.
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Black-ish, ABC
WHEN | Wednesdays at 9:30/8:30c
WHO | Anthony Anderson (Guys With Kids), Tracee Ellis Ross (Girlfriends), Yara Shahidi (Scandal), recurring star Laurence Fishburne (Hannibal)
WHAT | An upper-middle class black man struggles to raise his children with a sense of cultural identity despite constant contradictions and obstacles coming from his liberal wife, old-school father and his own assimilated, color-blind kids.
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I initially passed on this culturally-based sitcom that takes elements of the Bernie Mac Show and sets them in the suburbs. I might have to change my mind.
STATUS: Officially renewed.
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Bordertown, Fox
PREMIERE DATE | 2016
WHO | Nicholas Gonzalez, Alex Borstein, Missi Pyle, Judah Friedlander, Efren Ramirez
WHAT | A satirical look at the cultural shifts taking place in America. Exploring family, politics and everything in between with a cross-cultural wink, the series centers on two very different families living in a fictional Southwest desert town on the U.S. – Mexico border.
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PICKUP OR PASS?
VERDICT: Pass. Again, a culturally relevant, now animated sitcom will be introduced by Fox. I don’t really gravitate toward adult cartoons beyond the mainstays like The Simpsons, South Park, and Family Guy, but if the show garners good reviews and/or readings, I may reconsider.
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Constantine, NBC
WHO | Matt Ryan, Lucy Griffiths (True Blood), Harold Perrineau (Lost)
WHAT | Based on the characters in DC Comics’ stories about John Constantine, an enigmatic and irreverent con man-turned-reluctant supernatural detective who is thrust into the role of defending us against dark forces from beyond.
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I initially picked up this comic adaptation of DC’s Hellblazer, given its Friday fright night aspects that reminded me of The Exorcist, Supernatural, etc.
STATUS: Officially canceled. I still plan to watch it; there was a bunch of groundswell and cult support for it.
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Cristela, ABC
WHEN | Fridays at 8:30/7:30c
WHO | Cristela Alonzo, Carlos Ponce, Terri Hoyos, Andrew Leeds, Sam McMurray
WHAT | In her sixth year of law school, Cristela is finally on the brink of landing her first big (unpaid) internship at a prestigious law firm. The only problem is that her pursuit of success is more ambitious than her traditional Mexican-American family thinks is appropriate. She’s stuck straddling the old culture she’s trying to modernize at home with her working-class family and the modern world she’s trying to embrace in her professional career.
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I initially passed on what seemed to be George Lopez’s prior sitcom meets Family Matters.
STATUS: Officially canceled.
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CSI: Cyber, CBS
PREMIERE DATE | March 4, 2015
WHEN | Wednesdays at 10/9c
WHO | Patricia Arquette (Medium), Gil Bellows (Ally McBeal)
WHAT | Centers on Avery Ryan, Special Agent in Charge at the Cyber Crime Division of the FBI in Quantico, VA. Ryan is tasked with solving high-octane crimes that start in the mind, live on-line, and play out into the real world.
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I initially passed on yet another version of CSI because I don’t watch any CSIs and probably never will. Procedurals are not my bag, sadly.
STATUS: Officially renewed.
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Emerald City, NBC
PREMIERE DATE | ?
WHEN | This one has disappeared from the grids. Even though NBC ordered it to series, reports from August 2014 show that NBC canceled that order, though the show creators were looking to sell it elsewhere.
WHAT | The “event” series is a modern and dark reimagining of the classic tale of Oz that includes lethal warriors, competing kingdoms, and the infamous wizard as we’ve never seen him before. A headstrong 20-year-old Dorothy Gale is unwittingly sent on a journey that thrusts her into the center of an epic and bloody battle for the control of Oz.
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I initially picked up this dark re-imagining of The Wizard of Oz, but NBC stopped production, according to my research. It’s really too bad. I’m always game for a re-imagining like Once Upon a Time. Unfortunately, I will remove this show from the list.
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Empire, Fox
PREMIERE DATE | January 7, 2015
WHO | Terrence Howard, Taraji P. Henson (Person of Interest), Jussie Smollett, Bryshere Y. Gray, Malik Yoba (Revolution, Alphas), Trai Byers, Grace Gealey, Kaitlin Doubleday, recurring player Gabourey Sidibe (American Horror Story: Coven)
WHAT | A unique family drama set in the world of a hip-hop empire and centering on music mogul Lucious Lyon.
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I initially picked up this high stakes drama about a hip hop mogul’s family and his ambitions for his legacy, feeling the King Lear undertones in the story. This show has become something of a runaway success for the Fox Network. I haven’t seen any of the program yet.
STATUS: Officially renewed.
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The Flash, The CW
WHEN | Tuesdays at 8/7c
WHO | Grant Gustin (Glee), Jesse L. Martin (Law & Order), Danielle Panabaker (Shark), Rick Cosnett (The Vampire Diaries), Candice Patton (The Game), Tom Cavanagh (Ed), John Wesley Shipp (the ’90s version of The Flash), Carlos Valdes, guest star Patrick Sabongui, recurring star Michelle Harrison (Emily Owens, MD)
WHAT | Based upon characters published by DC Comics, through a freak accident, scientist Barry Allen is given the power of super speed that transforms him into the Fastest Man Alive.
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I initially picked up this DC comics adaptation, as I enjoy watching all comic book adaptations, and the character has appeared in other DC properties, including Smallville and Arrow.
STATUS: Officially renewed.
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Forever, ABC
WHEN | Tuesdays at 10/9c
WHO | Ioan Gruffudd (Ringer), Judd Hirsch (Damages, Numb3rs), Alana de la Garza (Law & Order), Joel David Moore (Bones), Barbara Eve Harris, Donnie Keshawarz
WHAT | Dr. Henry Morgan is New York City’s star medical examiner, but what no one knows is Henry studies the dead for a reason: He is immortal. With the help of detective Jo Martinez, the show peels back the layers of Henry’s long, colorful life through their cases.
Fresh Off the Boat, ABC
PREMIERE DATE | 2015
WHO | Randall Park, Constance Wu, Hudson Yang, Forrest Wheeler, Ian Chen
WHAT | It’s the 90s and 12-year-old, hip-hop loving Eddie just moved to suburban Orlando from DC’s Chinatown with his parents. It’s culture shock for his immigrant family in this comedy about pursuing the American Dream.
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I initially passed on this blend of The Goldbergs and Outsourced, having shied away from most programming that seemed to revolve around cultural stereotypes, not knowing if it’s really okay to laugh.
STATUS: Officially renewed.
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Galavant, ABC
PREMIERE DATE | January 4, 2015
WHO | Joshua Sasse (Rogue), Vinnie Jones (Elementary), Karen David, Mallory Jansen, Luke Youngblood (Community), guest star Timothy Omundson (Psych)
WHAT | A musical fairy tale that centers on handsome Prince Galavant and his quest for revenge over the king who stole his one true love.
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I initially picked up this musical fairy tale comedy because it’s a musical fairy tale comedy. Keep up.
STATUS: Officially renewed, against all odds. I’ve seen two episodes, but I’m going to re-watch. I didn’t love it…
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Gotham, Fox
WHEN | Mondays at 8/7c
WHO | Ben McKenzie (Southland), Donal Logue (Sons of Anarchy), Jada Pinkett Smith (Hawthorne), Robin Lord Taylor (Accepted, The Walking Dead), Sean Pertwee (Camelot), Zabryna Guevara (Burn Notice), Erin Richards (Breaking In), David Mazouz (Touch), Camren Bicondova, Drew Powell, Cory Michael Smith
WHAT | Explores the origin stories of Commissioner James Gordon from the Batman comics and films — who is still a detective and has yet to meet Batman — and the villains who made Gotham City famous.
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I initially picked up this prequel series to the Batman mythology, as it is another comic book adaptation – but most importantly, it’s Batman, and he’s one of my faves. I haven’t started watching it yet.
STATUS: Officially renewed.
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Heroes Reborn, NBC
PREMIERE DATE | Fall 2015
WHAT | The 13-episode miniseries will reconnect with the basic elements of the show’s first season where ordinary people were waking up to the fact that they had extraordinary abilities.
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PICKUP OR PASS?
VERDICT: Pick up. Sheer morbid curiosity, and a lack of True Blood by that time, will no doubt drive me to check in with this miniseries. The flagship series, which was canceled some years earlier, and which ended with a resounding thud in its fourth season after a riveting first season paved the way for increasingly helter skelter story lines and nonsensical character choices, is a querulous choice for NBC to consider rebooting, in the wake of Fox’s decision to devote the same treatment to 24. I’m not sure how successful the venture will be, but I’ll be there to laud or slam as needed; you can count on it!
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Hieroglyph, Fox
PREMIERE DATE | None
WHO | John Rhys-Davies (Lord of the Rings), Max Brown (Beauty and the Beast), Reece Ritchie, Kelsey Chow, Condola Rashad, Caroline Ford, Antony Bunsee
WHAT | A notorious thief is plucked from prison to serve the Pharoah, navigating palace intrigue, seductive concubines, criminal underbellies and even a few divine sorcerers.
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I initially picked up this potential guilty pleasure because vampires! Magic! Ancient Egypt! Apparently, Fox thought all of this was too ambitious, because…
STATUS: Officially canceled before airing. Sad.
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How to Get Away With Murder, ABC
WHEN | Thursdays at 10/9c
WHO | Viola Davis, Matt McGorry (Orange Is the New Black), Liza Weil (Scandal, Gilmore Girls), Aja Naomi King (The Black Box), Charlie Weber (90210), Katie Findlay (The Carrie Diaries), Billy Brown (Hostages), Tom Verica (American Dreams), Jack Falahee, Alfred Enoch, Karla Souza
WHAT | A sexy, suspense-driven legal thriller about a group of ambitious law students and their brilliant, mysterious criminal defense professor who become entangled in a murder plot that will rock the entire university and change the course of their lives.
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I initially passed on Shonda Rimes’ latest entry into ABC’s Thursday night lineup; in fact, I’m Shonda-free, having jumped the shark on the long-running Grey’s Anatomy and having never watched Scandal. It’s nothing personal…I just think I get her formula, and I’m over it.
STATUS: Officially renewed.
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iZombie, The CW
PREMIERE DATE | 2015
WHO | Rose McIver (Once Upon a Time), David Anders (Once Upon a Time, Alias), Robert Buckley (One Tree Hill), Malcolm Goodwin (Breakout Kings), Alexandra Krosney (Last Man Standing), Nora Dunn (Entourage), Rahul Kohli
WHAT | A med student-turned-zombie takes a job in the coroner’s office to gain access to the brains she must reluctantly eat to maintain her humanity, but with each brain she consumes, she inherits the corpse’s memories. With the help of her medical examiner boss and a police detective, she solves homicide cases in order to quiet the disturbing voices in her head. Based on the characters created by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred, and published by DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint.
Jane the Virgin, The CW
WHEN | Mondays at 9/8c
WHO | Gina Rodriguez (The Bold and the Beautiful), Yael Grobglas (Reign), Brett Dier (Diary of a Wimpy Kid), Andrea Navedo (One Life To Live), Justin Baldoni (Single Ladies, Everwood), Ivonne Coll (Switched at Birth)
WHAT | A series of surprising and unforeseen events causes a hard-working, religious young Latina woman to be accidentally artificially inseminated. Adapted from the successful Venezuelan telenovela.
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I initially passed on this remake of a telenovela, believing the high brow concept was met with low brow humor, which is not my favorite.
STATUS: Officially renewed. And I have heard some good press and feedback about it, so I may check it out.
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Last Man on Earth, Fox
PREMIERE DATE |March 1, 2015
WHO | Will Forte (SNL)
WHAT | a new single-camera comedy about the life and adventures of the last man on earth. Phil Miller was once just an average guy who loved his family and hated his job at the bank — now he’s humanity’s last hope. Will he ever find another person alive on the planet? Would hoping that she is a female be asking too much?
Madam Secretary, CBS
WHEN | Sundays at 8/7c
WHO | Tea Leoni (The Naked Truth), Tim Daly (Private Practice), Bebe Neuwirth (Blue Bloods), Geoffrey Arend (Body of Proof), Patina Miller, Erich Bergen, Evan Roe, Katherine Herzer
WHAT | Explores the personal and professional life of a maverick female Secretary of State as she drives international diplomacy, wrangles office politics and balances a complex family life.
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Marry Me, NBC
WHEN | Tuesdays at 9/8c
WHO | Casey Wilson (Happy Endings), Ken Marino (Childrens Hospital), John Gemberling (Super Fun Night), Tim Meadows (SNL), Tymberlee Hill (Drunk History), guest star Dan Bucatinsky (Scandal)
WHAT | A young couple gets engaged — and they quickly realize it’s harder than it looks.
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Marvel’s Agent Carter, ABC
PREMIERE DATE |January 6, 2015
WHO | Hayley Atwell
WHAT | Set in 1946, this drama tells the story of Captain America’s Peggy Carter, who goes on secret missions for Howard Stark while adjusting to losing the love of her life.
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I initially picked up this televised spin-off of Captain America, because I wanted to know what happened to Peggy after the Cap got tossed into the future to be an Avenger. Also Marvel, comic books, etc. I haven’t seen any of the episodes yet.
STATUS: Officially renewed.
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The McCarthys, CBS
WHEN | Thursdays at 9:30/8:30c
WHO | Laurie Metcalf (Roseanne), Jack McGee (Common Law), Tyler Ritter, Joey McIntyre (Boston Public), Jimmy Dunn, Kelen Coleman (The Newsroom)
WHAT | A comedy about a big Irish Catholic, sports-crazed Boston clan and the gay son whose greatest sin is not his sexuality but his desire to spend less time with his family.
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I initially passed on this stereotypical depiction of a Boston Irish/Boston Catholic family, as I didn’t believe I would enjoy these types of jokes.
STATUS: Officially canceled. It took longer than I thought.
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The Messengers, The CW
PREMIERE DATE | 2015
WHO | Shantel VanSanten (One Tree Hill), Sofia Black-D’Elia (Gossip Girl), Joel Courtney (Super 8), Diogo Morgado (The Bible)
WHAT | When a mysterious object crashes down to earth, a group of seemingly unconnected strangers die from the energy pulse, but then awaken to learn that they have been deemed responsible for preventing the impending Apocalypse.
Mission Control, NBC
PREMIERE DATE |None
WHO | Krysten Ritter (Don’t Trust the B—- in Apt. 23), Malcolm Barrett (Better Off Ted), Jonathan Slavin (Better Off Ted), Michael Rosenbaum (Breaking In, Smallville), Tommy Dewey (The Mindy Project), Leah Renee (The Playboy Club), Julie Meyer
WHAT | Set in 1962, the comedy examines what happens when a strong woman butts heads with a macho astronaut in the race to land on the moon.
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I initially passed on this space race related drama, despite the presence of Lex Luthor and the two geeks from Better Off Ted. I also apparently missed the announcement in the last progress report. This was canceled before airing.
STATUS: Officially canceled, having never aired.
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Mr. Robinson, NBC
PREMIERE DATE | Summer 2015
WHO | Craig Robinson (The Office), Larenz Tate (House of Lies), Amanda Lund, Jean Smart (Harry’s Law, Hawaii Five-0), Ben Koldyke (Back in the Game, How I Met Your Mother)
WHAT | A talented musician adjusts to his new life as a middle school music teacher, where he maneuvers precocious kids, teacher politics and the temptations of single moms.
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PICKUP OR PASS?
VERDICT: Pick up. Craig Robinson is one of my favorites from The Office; I think he’s truly a very funny man, and this character seems like a great fit for his particular brand of comedy and delivery. There was no trailer, though, so I’m not sure how the show around him will be executed without watching the pilot…so it’s picked up.
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Mulaney, Fox
WHEN | Sundays at 9:30/8:30c
WHO | John Mulaney (Saturday Night Live), Martin Short (How I Met Your Mother), Elliott Gould (Ray Donovan), Nasim Pedrad (Saturday Night Live), Seaton Smith, Zack Pearlman
WHAT | Follows an aspiring comedian coming of age in NYC under the influence of his over-the-top boss — who was a major stand-up comedian in the 1980s and ’90s and now hosts a game show — as well as his roommates and his neighbors.
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I initially passed on this showcase for former SNL cast member John Mulaney, as neither he nor the premise of the show interested me.
STATUS: Officially canceled.
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The Mysteries of Laura, NBC
WHEN | Wednesdays at 8/7c
WHO | Debra Messing (Smash), Josh Lucas (The Firm), Laz Alonso (Breakout Kings)
WHAT | Based on the popular Spanish series Los Misterios De Laura, it follows the life and relationships of a female homicide detective who can handle murderous criminals — but not her evil twins.
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I initially passed on Debra Messing’s new foray into homicide detective meets harried mom of evil twins.
STATUS: Officially renewed.
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NCIS : New Orleans, CBS
WHEN | Tuesdays at 9/8c
WHO | Scott Bakula (Men of a Certain Age), CCH Pounder (The Shield), Zoe McLellan (JAG), Lucas Black, recurring guest star Paige Turco (The 100)
WHAT | The New Orleans NCIS office handles cases from Pensacola through Mississippi and Louisiana to the Texas panhandle.
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I initially passed on yet another NCIS series because I don’t watch any of the other ones.
STATUS: Officially renewed.
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The Odd Couple, CBS
PREMIERE DATE |February 19, 2015
WHO | Matthew Perry (Go On, Friends), Thomas Lennon (Reno 911!), Georgia King (The New Normal), Sarah Baker (Go On), Wendell Pierce (The Michael J. Fox Show, Treme), Lindsay Sloane (Weeds)
WHAT | The multi-camera comedy follows two mismatched roommates: the messy Oscar Madison (Perry) and neat freak Felix Unger (Lennon).
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I initially picked up this reboot of the classic Neil Simon play and remake of the 1960s TV show of the same name because a) Matthew Perry and b) Matthew Perry. He finally made a series that did not receive early cancellation. With the void left by Two and a Half Men at the Eye, this might have been right place/right time. I haven’t seen any of the series yet, but I’m told that Perry is basically playing the older version of Chandler, if Chandler had never met Monica.
STATUS: Officially renewed.
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(re-titled) American Odyssey, NBC
PREMIERE DATE | April 5, 2015
WHO | Nate Mooney (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies), Jake Robinson (The Carrie Diaries), Daniella Pineda (The Originals), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Lost), Peter Facinelli (Nurse Jackie), Treat Williams (Chicago Fire, Everwood)
WHAT |Traffic-like thriller revolves around three families whose lives are torn apart when a stranded female soldier, a disillusioned corporate attorney and a disrespected political activist are pulled into the same shocking international military conspiracy.
Red Band Society, Fox
WHEN | Wednesdays at 9/8c
WHO | Octavia Spencer, Dave Annable (Brothers & Sisters), Griffin Gluck (Back in the Game), Charlie Rowe, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Zoe Levin, Ciara Bravo, Nolan Sotillociara
WHAT | A group of teenagers meet as patients in the children’s wing of a hospital and become unlikely allies and friends.
Secrets and Lies, ABC
PREMIERE DATE | March 1, 2015
WHO | Ryan Phillippe, Natalie Martinez (Under the Dome), Juliette Lewis, KaDee Strickland (Private Practice), Indiana Evans (Lifetime’s Blue Lagoon reboot), recurring players Charles Dutton, Steven Brand (Magic City) and Kate Ashfield (Shaun of the Dead)
WHAT | A family man finds the body of a young boy and quickly becomes the prime murder suspect. He has no choice but to try to find the real killer as his marriage, his kids, his reputation and his sanity are all at stake.
Scorpion, CBS
WHEN | Mondays at 9/8c
WHO | Katherine McPhee (Smash), Robert Patrick (True Blood, Last Resort), Elyes Gabel (Body of Proof, Game of Thrones), Eddie Kaye Thomas (American Pie), Jadyn Wong (Being Erica), Ari Stidham
WHAT | Follows an eccentric genius and his international network of super-geniuses as they form the last line of defense against the complex threats of the modern age.
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I initially picked up this unusual thriller, albeit hesitantly, thanks to apparent film-like pacing, Robert Patrick, and Ernie Hudson. The show is enjoying some longevity, though, and I haven’t watched it yet, so now I pick it up confidently!
STATUS: Officially renewed.
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Stalker, CBS
WHEN | Wednesdays at 10/9c
WHO | Dylan McDermott (American Horror Story), Maggie Q (Nikita), Mariana Klaveno (Devious Maids), Victor Rasuk (How To Make It in America)
WHAT | A psychological thriller that centers on a pair of detectives who handle stalking incidents for the Threat Management Unit of the LAPD.
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I initially passed on this vigilante justice thriller, where the stalked becomes the stalker, based on its muddy premise and heavy subject matter – purely personal preference here.
STATUS: Officially canceled.
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State of Affairs, NBC
WHEN | Mondays at 10/9c
WHO | Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy), Alfre Woodard (Desperate Housewives), Adam Kaufman (Without a Trace), Leslie Odom Jr. (Smash), Tommy Savas (Hollywood Heights), Cliff Chamberlain, Sheila Vand
WHAT | Centers on a key CIA attaché who counsels the president on high-stakes incidents around the world. She balances her intense political responsibilities with a complicated personal life.
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I initially passed on this Katherine Heigl helmed thriller/drama, mainly because I despise Katherine Heigl. Also, the plot did not entice.
STATUS: Officially canceled.
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Unbreakable Kimmy Schimdt – FORMERLY ON NBC, BUT HAS MOVED TO NETFLIX!
PREMIERE DATE | 2015
WHO | Ellie Kemper (The Office), Robert Carlock (30 Rock), Sara Chase, Lauren Adams
WHAT | Centers on a woman who escapes from a doomsday cult and starts life over in New York City.
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I initially picked up this show and followed it to Netflix, where I watched it (PODCAST TO COME). It’s like 30 Rock on uppers, and Ellie Kemper is endlessly watchable, playing a somewhat stunted, stuck in the 90s 29 year old who emerged from a bunker where she was trapped for 15 years as part of an end of days cult. Plus, Jenna and D’fwan from 30 Rock! Oh, and Tina Fey had her hand in it, which may explain much.
STATUS: Automatically renewed. Still at Netflix.
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Wayward Pines, Fox
PREMIERE DATE | May 14, 2015
WHO | Matt Dillon, Carla Gugino, Melissa Leo, Toby Jones, Terrence Howard, Reed Diamond, Juliette Lewis, Shannyn Sossamon, Tim Griffin, Charlie Tahan
WHAT | The 10-episode thriller centers around a Secret Service agent on a mission to find two missing federal agents in the bucolic town of Wayward Pines, ID. Every step closer to the truth makes him question if he will ever get out of Wayward Pines alive.
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PICKUP OR PASS?
VERDICT: Pass. Despite the presence of a stellar ensemble cast – including Terrence Howard, who is a busy bee this upcoming TV season, I’m getting a strong Twin Peaks vibe off this particular entry. Without a working link to a trailer, there is nothing available to convince me otherwise. If this gets people talking, I may reconsider…but not for now.
EDIT: Picking up. I keep seeing trailers on Hulu. I feel like I have to check it out.
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Weird Loners, Fox
PREMIERE DATE | March 31, 2015
WHO | Zachary Knighton (Happy Endings), Becki Newton (Ugly Betty), Nate Torrence (Mr. Sunshine), Meera Rohit Kumbhani
WHAT | A single-camera comedy about four single 30-something underdogs who are unexpectedly thrust into one another’s lives and form an unlikely bond in a Queens, NY, townhouse.
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I initially passed on this thirtysomething for the 2010s, where everyone is single and lonely. I live it. I don’t need to watch it.
STATUS: Officially canceled.
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The Whispers, ABC
PREMIERE DATE | 2015
WHO | Barry Sloane (Revenge), Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes), Derek Webster (Revolution), Lily Rabe (American Horror Story), Brianna Brown (Devious Maids, Homeland)
WHAT | A drama about an alien invasion, in which earth’s enemies possess children’s bodies to take down humanity.
VERDICT: Pick up. Four reasons: aliens (and therefore science fiction); horror (very Children of the Corn-esque conceit); Lily Rabe, who was a player in the last two seasons of American Horror Story and offered some amazing performances; and Milo Ventimiglia, the only reason I stuck with Heroes so long. May he still be cute!—So – there you have it! Stay tuned for one more progress report regarding longer standing series covered by this blog! At the end of the summer, a new list of new shows will crop up with my projected leanings for watching.
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So – there you have it! Stay tuned for two more progress reports regarding longer standing series covered by this blog and the new pilot schedule for Fall 2015!
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Reblogged this on The Musings of a Perennial Wallflower.