It’s that time of year!  Call it CPU!’s Holiday Present to you!  Or a New Year present! Time to check in on the progress of shows and see which shows are surviving this season and beyond on the major networks and what news shows have been announced for the second half of this strange, pandemically-infused season.  Is your show on the list? Did it survive cancellation? Are you keeping your eye out for some good new small screen entertainment? Read below.

Thanks to TVLine, Metacritic, and other sources for helping a girl out. Note: this is a compilation of internet research from TV pundits and watchdogs. The information is as accurate as the internet can provide as of the date of this publication.

*Note: with the expansion of CPU!, these initial thoughts are based upon the CPU! Chief’s assessments.  As with previous seasons, a growing number of CPU! members may find shows initially passed by the CPU! Chief and choose to review them.  CPU! readers will be informed if the show’s status changes regarding coverage as the season progresses through the handy CPU! Progress Reports, and all written reviews will be published!

**Second Note: If you haven’t already figured it out, we measure the TV year from June 1st to May 31st.

B POSITIVE, CBS

TIME SLOT: Thursdays at 8:30/7:30c

WHO: Thomas Middleditch (Silicon Valley), Annaleigh Ashford (Masters of Sex), Sara Rue (Impastor), Kether Donohue (You’re the Worst), Kamryn Kunody

WHAT: A multi-cam comedy about a therapist and newly divorced dad who is faced with finding a kidney donor when he runs into a rough-around-the-edges woman from his past who volunteers her own. Together they form an unlikely bond and begin a journey that will change both of their lives.

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PICK UP OR PASS?

VERDICT: Pass. Welcome to the 2020-2021 CPU! network pilot review, always full of snark and real talk about upcoming TV from your friendly neighborhood TV podcast, whose business is otherwise unaffected by global pandemics, as we’re too afraid to leave our houses and, therefore, spend an even more inordinate time watching TV! Unite with us (and wear a mask)! 

We start off with a pass because, as earnestly as we support humanity’s giving natures and organ donation when needed, the subject and the slapstick cut of this teaser trailer render us feeling like the topic and the tone of this series don’t quite match, despite a fairly fresh premise to start this situation comedy off reasonably right. Another way of looking at this snap judgment comes down to the idea that if this the best thirty seconds the Eye can provide to sell this sitcom, the humor falls flat quickly, even if spontaneous organ donation is intended to elicit at least a few smiles. We want to “b” into it, positively, but we’re not quite there.

And to get this bit of annual flavor out of the way, if buzz and steam and starvation for new network sitcoms in these, our COVID times – or your more direct contact with us via comment on any post, a visit to our guestbook or our social media, or an email to couchpotatoesunitepodcast@gmail.com – convince us to change our minds, which is very easy to do with the right amount of minimal persuasion, we most certainly will! I’m positive!

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STATUS: Five of eighteen ordered episodes have aired as of the publication of this post, but the pundits, including our favorite TVLine, think renewal possibilities are a safe bet. On December 21, 2020, CBS ordered five additional episodes, elevating the Season 1 episode total to 18. No announcement regarding renewal or cancellation has yet been made.

CPU! STATUS: Early reviews and reception from critics are (B?) positive. Plus, it was CBS’ only new comedy entry during this, our era of COVID, which might be bolstering its survival chances somewhat. Unfortunately, no one is talking to us about it yet, so we’ll stay pretty positive that passing is our best option. We have to prioritize the sheer volume of television entertainment somehow!

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BIG SKY, ABC

TIME SLOT: Tuesdays at 10/9c

WHO: Kylie Bunbury (Pitch), Katheryn Winnick (Vikings), Ryan Phillippe (Shooter), Brian Geraghty (Chicago P.D.), John Carroll Lynch (American Horror Story), Dedee Pfeiffer (Cybill), Natalie Alyn Lind (The Gifted), Jade Pettyjohn (Little Fires Everywhere), Jesse James Keitel

WHAT: In this procedural thriller, private detective Cassie Dewell (Bunbury) partners with ex-cop Jenny Hoyt (Winnick) on a search for two sisters who have been kidnapped by a truck driver on a remote highway in Montana, but when they discover that these are not the only girls who have disappeared in the area, they must race against the clock to stop the killer before another woman is taken.

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PICK UP OR PASS?

VERDICT: Pass. Without a trailer to help steer us toward this procedural thriller, I am afraid that we’ll have to steer away. Procedural TV is a genre not typically requested by our resident Couch Potatoes unless the procedural overlay is set off by a gimmick or a quirk that renders it somewhat different from the typical fare. Various vehicles featuring murder and detective work have come and gone in recent seasons; some have been canceled quickly, and though the lead actress is named Kylie (which this Kylie can get behind), we don’t have enough information about either this series premise or its cast to feel motivated to add it to our already as-large-as-the-sky lists of recommended TV. Big facts.

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STATUS: Five of sixteen ordered episodes have aired as of the publication of this post. The pundits also see this series’ renewal chances as being a safe bet or likely. On December 7, 2020, ABC ordered six additional episodes to reach the sixteen-episode total. No announcement regarding renewal or cancellation has yet been made.

CPU! STATUS: The trailer was reviewed and is available by searching YouTube; this series is a procedural but with an overarching dramatic through-line. The creator and cast pedigree are certainly there, and the ratings seem to fare better than average, but I wonder how much the influence of COVID on the TV landscape – and the boom in the streaming industry – are affecting traditional perceptions of network TV? After viewing this trailer, your friendly neighborhood Chief Couch Potato was not any more motivated to watch this seemingly run-of-the-mill crime-solving thriller than I was after I read a mere textual premise. Also, no one is talking about it in CPU!’s increasingly widespread circles of Couch Potatoes and Couch Potatoes Adjacent, and this, of all times, is the time for hunkering in and watching things. The premise is not pie in the big sky, but this particular Alphabet entry feeling new and different from other ilk in its genre seems like a pretty tall order; or, perhaps, the trailer was not well cut (of course, usually, that means there’s not a lot from which to cut). Anyway, we remain in the passing line on the TV highway until we hear requests, same as it ever was, same as it ever was.

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CALL ME KAT, Fox

PREMIERE DATE: January 3, 2021

TIME SLOT: Sundays at 8/7c

WHO: Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory), Swoosie Kurtz (Mike & Molly), Cheyenne Jackson (American Horror Story), Kyla Pratt (One on One) and Leslie Jordan (Will & Grace). Bialik and Jim Parsons serve as EPs.

WHAT: Based on the BBC sitcom Miranda, the multi-cam follows a 39-year-old woman (Bialik) who struggles every day against society (and her mother) to prove that you can not have everything you want and still be happy. That’s why she spent the money her parents set aside for her wedding to open a cat café in Louisville.

Trailer available here.

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PICK UP OR PASS?

VERDICT: Hesitantly Pick Up. The hesitancy comes from the lack of a trailer, but there are three reasons why we are motivated to give this one a look-see: it’s based on an established British comedy, so if it can be Americanized in a way that lands with the audiences on this side of the pond, we’re all for giving it a nod; it features Mayim Bialik, a Big Bang Blossom if there ever was one; and who doesn’t want to see a comedy about an owner of a cat cafe? Imagine all the feline hi-jinks! On the other hand, this sitcom could be incredibly stupid, but with Mayim and Jim Parsons, both capable of intelligence and warmth when it comes to comedy, at the helm, we’re thinking this one at least deserves a chance, though you can call me “krazy” if you want.

PANDEMIC EDIT: The trailer has been reviewed. The premise is a little shaky, but the cast is the reason to watch this one, and by cast, I mean those supporting Ms. Bialik. As much as Mayim will bring the sass and apparently a few songs via a karaoke set-up (because why not?), those to watch include Swoosie Kurtz and Leslie Jordan doing what they do best. We are still evaluating Cheyenne Jackson beyond his appearances on American Horror Story and so will need to tune in to get the full sense of the coalescing of this particularly cat-crazy ensemble – but we do not regret our Pick Up decision (yet).

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CALL YOUR MOTHER, ABC

PREMIERE DATE: January 13, 2021

TIME SLOT: Wednesdays, 9:30/8:30c

WHO: Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer), Rachel Sennott (High Maintenance), Joey Bragg (Liv and Maddie), Emma Caymares (Fosse/Verdon), Austin Crute (Daybreak), Patrick Brammall (Evil, No Activity)

WHAT: In this multi-cam, an “empty nester” mom wonders how she ended up alone while her children live their best lives thousands of miles away. She decides her place is with her family and as she re-inserts herself into their lives, her kids realize they might actually need her more than they thought.

Teaser trailer available here.

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PICK UP OR PASS?

VERDICT: Pass. I am sure that Kyra Sedgwick will play a wonderful helicopter mom, but without a trailer or teaser to help seal the deal (likely a scarcity in these COVID circumstances), this new sitcom feels as by rote as most. If buzz or steam picks up when this premieres mid-season, if the TV production schedule remotely stays on track, we could be convinced to reassess, but in the meantime, we’ll just call our mothers.

PANDEMIC EDIT: The trailer has been reviewed – and it plays like it reads: as by rote as more than most. Kyra Sedgwick seems potentially winning, but thirty seconds of teasing promotional clips left this CP comfortable with our initial pass. In the end, Kyra’s fans might be most readily drawn into this empty nest sitcom; otherwise, it’s just another family comedy to add to the Alphabet’s already packed schedule full of them.

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CLARICE, CBS

PREMIERE DATE: February 11, 2021

TIME SLOT: Thursdays at 10/9c

WHO: Rebecca Breeds (The Originals), Kal Penn (Designated Survivor, House), Michael Cudlitz (The Walking Dead, Southland), Nick Sandow (Orange Is the New Black), Lucca De Oliveira (The Punisher), Devyn A. Tyler (Out of Blue)

WHAT: A deep dive into the untold personal story of brilliant and vulnerable FBI Agent Clarice Starling as she returns to the field in 1993, six months after the events of The Silence of the Lambs.

Teaser trailer available at CBS’ YouTube channel.

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PICK UP OR PASS?

VERDICT: Hesitantly Pick Up. Hesitancy, again, derives from a lack of sneak peek, but we have a few super-fans of the The Silence of the Lambs franchise that hang out on our united couch Around the Water Cooler, including of the erstwhile Hannibal. Plus, it will be interesting to see if Rebecca Breeds can evoke memories of the incomparable Jodie Foster, and if Clarice Starling’s back story can be as compelling as Hannibal Lecter’s. Also, the morbid curiosity of seeing how far the makers of this series can plumb the depths of this mythology comes to play here as well. All in all, we feel motivated to say, “Hello, Clarice.”

PANDEMIC EDIT: The trailer has been reviewed – there wasn’t much in the vague teaser to clarify our feelings of hesitancy about Clarice. In fact, it only served to validate our initial hesitancy, but this drama shall remain a Pick Up. After all, we might do a Silence of the Lambs TV Series focused group of podcast episodes, including coverage of Hannibal. We’re always thinking around here! No fava beans or chianti of which to speak, either.

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DEBRIS, NBC

PREMIERE DATE: 2021

TIME SLOT: TBA

WHO: Jonathan Tucker (Kingdom), Riann Steele (NCIS: New Orleans), Norbert Leo Butz (Fosse/Verdon, Bloodline)

WHAT: Two agents from two different continents, and two different mindsets, must work together to investigate when wreckage from a destroyed alien spacecraft has mysterious effects on humankind.

Trailer available here.

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PICK UP OR PASS?

VERDICT: Pick Up. This time, there is less hesitancy because aliens, wreckage, mysterious effects, and a global scope, even if the premise is admittedly thin without further trailer evaluation to guide us. We love our science fiction around here, though, and while a trailer would be helpful, sometimes, you just have to go with what works, even if it could all implode in the end and litter our TV-loving hearts with debris from what was once our trust.

PANDEMIC EDIT: The trailer has been reviewed – and it was very intriguing in all of the glorious science fiction senses that tend to titillate our TV watching tubers. From the trailer, the premise strikes this viewer as both familiar and different, so of course we’ll have to check it out to see which quality this new series displays more. I really should learn to trust my snap judgments, eh?

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THE EQUALIZER, CBS

PREMIERE DATE: February 7, 2021

TIME SLOT: Sundays at 8/7c

WHO: Queen Latifah (Star), Lorraine Toussaint (Orange Is the New Black), Chris Noth (Law & Order, Sex and the City), Liza Lapira (9JKL), Tory Kittles (Colony), Laya DeLeon Hayes (Raven’s Home)

WHAT: The re-imagining of the classic series follows an enigmatic woman with a mysterious background who uses her extensive skills to help those with nowhere else to turn.

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PICK UP OR PASS?

VERDICT: Pick Up. Color me dubiously intrigued. Yours truly, the Chief CP, never watched the original Equalizer but not for lack of wanting. Plus, Queen Latifah is always fun to watch; she is a capable actress who can convincingly provide comedy, drama, a catchy tune, or a few slick bars of the rap that started her career. This is an experiment that could pay off in dividends…or, it could not work spectacularly, since the show is a remake of one with a potentially different tone. I’d say the odds of the potential for success and viewer enjoyment are approximately equalized… I’ll see myself out.

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FILTHY RICH, Fox

WHO: Kim Cattrall (Sex and the City), Gerald McRaney (This Is Us), Aubrey Dollar (Battle Creek), Corey Cott (The Good Fight), Mark L. Young (The Comeback), Aaron Lazar (Quantico)

WHAT: When the patriarch of a mega-rich Southern family (famed for creating a wildly successful Christian television network) dies in a plane crash, his wife and family are stunned to learn that he fathered three illegitimate children, all of whom are written into his will.

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PICK UP OR PASS?

VERDICT: Pass. In the grand tradition of fare like Dallas and Dynasty (the original, to be sure), Fox offers this new sudsy soap with rich people at the forefront mixed with all the scandal and guilty-pleasure inducing backdrop of televangelism and the antebellum lilts of the South, including the requisite homage to Gone with the Wind. Hilariously, the show is created/produced by the makers of Empire and The Help, so there is a small iota of curiosity to entice here. Plus, the presence of an older but no less fabulous Kim Cattrall, the erstwhile Samantha that oozed Sex in her City, leads this pack. Still, the premise sounds very similar to Fox’s Almost Family, also being introduced this season (see above), with the soap angle to propel it forward into Desperate Housewives and the aforementioned Dallas/Dynasty territories, and so it seems like Fox is throwing the idea of illegitimate children around every chance it can get. We passed on the other one and feel it only fair to pass on this one also, but if you think we need to cover more suds and find this candidate suitable to that purpose, drop us a line.

This was delayed from the 2019-2020 TV season, and our initial review was written in fall 2019.

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STATUS: Officially canceled! On October 30, 2020, Fox canceled this delayed drama citing rising production costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The series finale aired on November 30, 2020, after a total of 10 episodes.

CPU! STATUS: Clearly, this production seemed somewhat doomed from the start, but adding together the individual variables of slightly above average critical reviews, declining ratings over its short run, not to mention a sizable cast with an oft-played premise, there is little wonder that this show did not survive after everything that appeared to plague its path to airing. Plus, CPU! remains uninterested; not even those with the filthiest, guiltiest penchants for this kind of TV mentioned this series once. We can’t say that’s very rich.

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THE GREAT NORTH, Fox

PREMIERE DATE: February 14, 2021, with special preview scheduled for January 3, 2021

TIME SLOT: Sundays at 8:30/7:30c

WHO: The voices of Nick Offerman, Jenny Slate, Megan Mullally, Paul Rust, Aparna Nancherla, Will Forte, Dulcé Sloan

WHAT: The animated comedy follows the Alaskan adventures of the Tobin family, as single dad Beef does his best to keep his weird bunch of kids close, especially as the artistic dreams of his only daughter, Judy, lead her away from the family fishing boat and into the glamorous world of the local mall.

Teaser trailer available at Fox’s YouTube Channel.

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PICK UP OR PASS?

VERDICT: Hesitantly Pick Up. Fox is also going hog-wild this year with upping its animation game. Still, this animated entry shows more possibility than other new selections, even without a trailer to more fully and thoroughly evaluate it. First, the voice cast contains one of the funniest married couples on the planet in Nick Offerman and Megan Mullaly, who people might know from shows like Parks & Recreation and Will & Grace, respectively. On top of that, the setting is Alaska, and the premise feels a bit more original and fresh, even as it could also be the cartoon version of Northern Exposure. All of the above is enough to warrant a tiny look-see but no promises from the not-so-great north.

This was delayed from the 2019-2020 TV season, and our initial review was written in fall 2019.

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STATUS: Officially renewed for Season 2! Ahead of its premiere, on June 22, 2020, Fox renewed this animated sitcom for a second season. There is no widely publicized word regarding how many episodes have been ordered for either season.

CPU! STATUS: The teaser trailer has been reviewed, but the thirty available seconds were inconclusive. Still, I think it’s a safe bet to say that fans of Bob’s Burgers will probably find something to like about this one. And the stellar voice cast is really why we’re enticed to give The Great North a gander more than a goose, eh?

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HOUSEBROKEN, Fox

PREMIERE DATE: 2021

TIME SLOT: TBA

WHO: The voices of Lisa Kudrow, Clea Duvall, Nat Faxon, Sharon Horgan, Will Forte, Tony Hale, Jason Mantzoukas, Sam Richardson, Bresha Webb, Greta Lee

WHAT: The animated comedy explores human dysfunction and neurosis through a group of neighborhood animals who live in the suburbs.

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PICK UP OR PASS?

VERDICT: Hesitantly Pick Up. Fox can’t help itself when producing all of its adult animation; I think the network is more addicted to it than the viewing public, or maybe they are beginning to shop around for the next The Simpsons, since we all know that the clock eventually has to run out for our yellow, Springfield-bound family at some point. Still, in a world besieged by a global pandemic that requires social distancing, animation might become a booming industry in this current TV landscape, since drawing/animating and voice acting can be done in a fairly isolated manner. Either way, the only hesitancy here comes from the fact that it’s a show about anthropomorphic animals being neurotic. Yet, the voice cast listed is stellar; I feel confident that the erstwhile Phoebe from Friends, Madame Kudrow herself, could achieve peak-level neurosis, whatever animal she ends up voicing. Also, several of our resident Couch Potatoes, your Chief among them, follow the Friends when we can. Two thumbs partway up in careful anticipation!

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THE KENAN SHOW, KENAN, NBC

PREMIERE DATE: 2021

TIME SLOT: TBA

WHO: Kenan Thompson (Saturday Night Live), Andy Garcia (Ocean’s Eleven), Punam Patel (Special)

WHAT: The single-camera comedy follows a newly widowed dad determined to be everything for his kids while begrudgingly letting his persistent father-in-law become more involved in their lives.

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PICK UP OR PASS?

VERDICT: Pass. While it is about time that Kenan Thompson returns to scripted TV from his long tenure as sketch comedian on Saturday Night Live, and while he is more than deserving of an eponymous comedy, we are not sure that this is the eponymous comedy that is going to keep his career going, unless his biggest fans are the generators of decent ratings to keep this sitcom afloat. This thin premise rings bells echoing My Wife & Kids, or, depending upon Kenan’s delivery, The Bernie Mac Show, but with a Xennial approach to the parental side of this equation. No trailer makes the selling difficult, but if you’re a Kenan Thompson fan and want us to reconsider, send us the messages.

This was delayed from the 2019-2020 TV season, and our initial review was written in fall 2019.

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KUNG FU, The CW

PREMIERE DATE: Midseason 2021

TIME SLOT: TBA

WHO: Olivia Liang (Legacies), Jon Prasida (Hiding), Shannon Dang (Sorry for Your Loss), Eddie Liu (Silicon Valley), Tzi Ma (Wu Assassins, The Man In the High Castle), Kheng Hua Tan (Marco Polo), Gavin Stenhouse (9-1-1, Allegiance), Gwendoline Yeo (American Crime)

WHAT: A quarter-life crisis causes a young Chinese-American woman to drop out of college and go on a life-changing journey to an isolated monastery in China. But when she returns to find her hometown overrun with crime and corruption, she uses her martial arts skills and Shaolin values to protect her community and bring criminals to justice… all while searching for the assassin who killed her Shaolin mentor and is now targeting her. Inspired by the original series created by Ed Spielman.

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PICK UP OR PASS?

VERDICT: Very Hesitantly Pick Up. The uniqueness and originality of bringing martial arts and associated cultural principles to the small screen inspires this hesitant pick-up, even though a few properties of similar ilk have been popping up here and there on streamers in recent years. This new drama could be riveting, or it could be hokey, but the question, I think, that we really have to seek an answer for here is how many of our Couch Potatoes, Couch Potatoes adjacent, and Couch Potatoes Unite! listeners need a martial arts show in their lives? It is a serialized drama, so the success will probably ride upon how well the cast and the production team can execute everything (as it usually does). A trailer would be helpful, but a slightly fresh twist on an old premise certainly appeals.

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LAW & ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME, NBC

PREMIERE DATE: 2021

TIME SLOT: Thursdays at 10/9c

WHO: Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: SVU)

WHAT: Elliot Stabler returns to the NYPD to battle organized crime after a devastating personal loss. However, the city and police department have changed dramatically in the decade he’s been away, and he must adapt to a criminal justice system in the midst of its own moment of reckoning. Throughout the series, we will follow Stabler’s journey to find absolution and rebuild his life, while leading a new elite task force that is taking apart the city’s most powerful criminal syndicates one by one. 

Teaser trailer available here.

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PICK UP OR PASS?

VERDICT: Pass For Now. The Law & Order franchise has been suggested for podcast dissection via the CPU! request line, so the return of Elliott Stabler (even this non-procedural loving, non-Law & Order watching viewer knows who he is!) only inspires us to wonder just how many spin-offs our potential L&O panel would want to cover. Given the popularity of SVU, I am guessing all of them. Still, this panel is deep in the planning stages and will require a moderator team. If you want us to get to it faster – or to be a moderator – drop us a line!

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MR. MAYOR, NBC

PREMIERE DATE: January 7, 2021

TIME SLOT: Thursdays, 8/7c

WHO: Ted Danson (The Good Place), Bobby Moynihan (SNL), Holly Hunter (Top of the Lake, Saving Grace)

WHAT: A single-cam comedy centering around a wealthy businessman (Danson) who runs for mayor of Los Angeles for all the wrong reasons. Once he wins, he has to figure out what he stands for, gain the respect of his staff, and connect with his teenage daughter — all while controlling the coyote population.

Trailer available at NBC’s YouTube Channel.

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PICK UP OR PASS?

VERDICT: Hesitantly Pick Up. Look. Ted Danson has at least earned a “check it out” sort of watch for his string of good TV, including Cheers and, most recently, The Good Place. And, frankly, I really need more information about these coyotes. A trailer would be so helpful here, but the coyote factor intrigues just about as much as the presence of the erstwhile Sam Malone aka Michael Goodman. This premise could very well flop faster than a fish out of its bowl, but a coyote out of its natural habitat and a smooth-talking Mr. Danson? Keeping an open mind seems wise.

PANDEMIC EDIT: The trailer has been reviewed. The trailer produces much less hesitancy, owing to the presence of Vella Lovell from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Ted Danson doing his best Ted Danson (somewhere between Sam Malone and Michael the Ex-Demon), and Holly Hunter playing someone seemingly unhinged and totally hilarious with some great potential chemistry with Mr. Mayor Danson. Paired with Tina Fey and Robert Carlock’s eye for quick and zany wit (see also: 30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), and this CP is more excitedly veering toward a solid Pick Up rather than a Hesitant(ly) Pick Up. Like LeVar Burton says, though, you don’t have to take my word for that, Mr. Mayor. Watch the trailer; see for yourself!

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NEXT, Fox

WHO: John Slattery (Mad Men), Eve Harlow (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Michael Mosley (Sirens), Jason Butler Harner (Ozark), Elizabeth Cappuccino (Jessica Jones), Fernanda Andrade, Aaron Moten, Gerardo Celasco, Evan Whitten

WHAT: A Silicon Valley pioneer discovers that one of his own creations — a powerful A.I. — might spell global catastrophe, and teams up with a cybercrime agent to fight a villain unlike anything we’ve ever seen — one whose greatest weapon against us is ourselves.  

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PICK UP OR PASS?

VERDICT: Pick Up. Oh sure, science fiction revolving around sentient artificial intelligence has been done before and has been arguably done to death. From The Terminator to Person of Interest, from 2001: A Space Odyssey (and its sequel, 2010) to Westworld, the world will never want for the fear that robots will someday turn against us, as humans attempt to play God by creating them in the first place. What makes this upcoming series potentially compelling TV is that, first, it is being billed as an event (read: limited) series, giving it a theoretically tight number of episodes within which to tell its story. Second, the culprit AI is a clear homage to Amazon’s Alexa product, which should add an element of real-world suspension of disbelief to this science fiction sub-genre. Plus, John Slattery is always a fun guy to watch on the small screen. Amazon’s already taking over the world – why shouldn’t its calming AI Alexa, named Iliza in this series, do the same and then turn on us all? What would happen if it did? Nothing good can come of this, that’s what we know from stories like it, but the premise and devices used here definitely intrigue the mind around this oft-employed story concept, so much so that we want to know what’s neXt.

This was delayed from the 2019-2020 TV season, and our initial review was written in fall 2019.

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STATUS: Officially canceled! On October 30, 2020, Fox canceled this delayed drama citing rising production costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The series finale aired on December 22, 2020, after a total of 10 episodes.

CPU! STATUS: Critical reception was above average for this one and done series, but it never found an audience. It’s too bad, really, but this CP can’t help but wonder if being cooped up at home for months on end due to a global pandemic, where technology is getting smarter and better, and where one would hope it wouldn’t turn on the people operating it, probably influenced non-interest in this series; after all, sometimes timing is everything in the TV biz. Hoping that it did not end on a cliffhanger, I think CPU! will still take a look someday, if not anytime soon. If you want us to take a look at it faster and voice some feelings, email us at couchpotatoesunitepodcast@gmailcom or get at us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. It’s the “NEXT” logical course of action, naturally.

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THE REPUBLIC OF SARAH, The CW

PREMIERE DATE: Midseason 2021

TIME SLOT: TBA

WHO: Stella Baker (Tell Me Your Secrets), Luke Mitchell (Blindspot), Megan Follows (Reign), Izabella Alvarez (Westworld), Nia Holloway (Hawaii Five-0), Hope Lauren (Awkward, Supergirl), Landry Bender (Fuller House, Looking for Alaska), Ian Duff (New Amsterdam), Forrest Goodluck (The Miseducation of Cameron Post)

WHAT: Faced with the destruction of her town at the hands of a greedy mining company, rebellious high school teacher Sarah Cooper utilizes an obscure cartographical loophole to declare independence. Now Sarah must lead a young group of misfits as they attempt to start their own country from scratch.

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PICK UP OR PASS?

VERDICT: Pass. This reviewer needs a trailer for this one. Though the CW motivates many of our Couch Potatoes’ personal TV-watching choices with the network’s attempts at giving all types of fare a chance, this premise feels a bit hollow and possibly precariously played for farce or pedantically played for social commentary. Without a way to further vet the concept visually, and with a cast that doesn’t, by itself, excite, we are going to leave this one aside, regardless of whatever republic for which it stands. As always, if buzz or steam generates around this new drama (is it a drama?), we will reconsider our position, but for now, we pledge allegiance to other TV.

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SMALL FORTUNE, NBC

PREMIERE DATE: 2021

TIME SLOT: TBA

WHO: Host Lil Rel Howery

WHAT: Based on the U.K. format, the unscripted series features teams of three friends who compete in the tiniest of challenges for a chance to win big money. From a shrunk down Oval Office (“The Waste Wing”) to a mini Arc de Triomphe (“Arc de Wee-Omph”), each team must prove their skills on playing fields that have been squeezed down to the size of a dollhouse. Challenges will require considerable dexterity and intense focus because with games this small, there’s no room for error as the slightest miscalculation or tremble may result in elimination.

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PICK UP OR PASS?

VERDICT: Pass. CPU! does not cover game shows in any of our formats, but as this show is new this year, we’ll keep an eye on it for the duration of the season. I would guess our coverage ranks as far less than even a small fortune, but we like scripted TV better here at CPU!

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SUPERMAN & LOIS, The CW

PREMIERE DATE: February 23, 2021

TIME SLOT: Tuesdays at 9/8c

WHO: Tyler Hoechlin (Supergirl), Elizabeth Tulloch (Supergirl), Dylan Walsh (Nip/Tuck), Emmanuelle Chriqui (The Passage, Entourage), Erik Valdez (General Hospital), Jordan Elsass (Little Fires Everywhere), Alexander Garfin, Wolé Parks (All American, The Vampire Diaries), Inde Navarrette (13 Reasons Why)

WHAT: The Arrowverse spin-off follows the world’d most famous superhero and comic books’ most famous journalist as they deal with all the stress, pressures and complexities that come with being working parents in today’s society.

Teaser trailer available here.

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PICK UP OR PASS?

VERDICT: Enthusiastically Pick Up. As an Arrowverse spin-off, this is an automatic Pick Up for our CPU! “DCTU Series” panel. Considering that our panel has expressed consistent excitement and appreciation, as well as glowing praise, for each appearance of Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch in recent Arrowverse mid-season crossovers, I would say that this latest incarnation in the “Superman” annals will probably be at least somewhat popular with our panel of DC enthusiasts, with or without an available trailer. To this we say, up, up, and away!

PANDEMIC EDIT: The trailer has been reviewed. IT CHANGES NOTHING! MORE ENTHUSIASM!

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SUPERMARKET SWEEP, ABC

TIME SLOT: Sundays at 8/7c

WHO: Host Leslie Jones (SNL)

WHAT: The competition show revival follows three teams of two as they battle it out using their grocery shopping skills and knowledge of merchandise to win big cash prizes.

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PICK UP OR PASS?

VERDICT: Pass. See the above note about game shows and new TV. (We don’t cover them, except their renewal/cancellation prospects in their first year. Oh wait, I gave it away. Rats).

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STATUS: Eight episodes have aired as of the publication of this post. There is no widely publicized word regarding how many episodes have been ordered nor has an announcement yet been made regarding renewal or cancellation.

CPU! STATUS: It’s still a game show, right?

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THAT’S MY JAM, NBC

PREMIERE DATE: 2021

TIME SLOT: TBA

WHAT: Inspired by the musical segments on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the hourlong competition series will be infused with Fallon’s one-of-a-kind comedic style, feel-good energy, and a carousel of his classic and brand-new music-based games, featuring a new group of celebrities each week.

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PICK UP OR PASS?

VERDICT: Pass. We also don’t cover variety shows or shows featuring celebrity competition (see also: The Masked Singer). That isn’t to say we won’t be watching. We just won’t be talking about the fact that we’re watching. Though Daniel Radcliffe should get himself a slot on this show. His rendition of “Alphabet Rap” was pretty dope.

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TRUE STORY, NBC

PREMIERE DATE: 2021

TIME SLOT: TBA

WHO: Hosts Ed Helms (The Office) and Randall Park (Fresh Off the Boat)

WHAT: In the hybrid alternative-scripted series, based on the Australian hit, everyday Americans sit down with Helms and Park to share their most extraordinary and unbelievably true stories for the first time. As the stories unfold, events are humorously brought to life by a star-studded cast of comedians and actors in heightened, dramatized re-enactments of cinematic proportions.

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PICK UP OR PASS?

VERDICT: Pass. What is “alternative-scripted?” This sounds like an experiment requiring a review by our resident TV lovers and Couch Potatoes, but I am not sure how we would make it work on our podcast. Change my mind, though, if you disagree. I think it’s got potential, but it also sounds like Whose Line Is It Anyway? crossed with This Is Your Life, so I am on the struggle bus. If you think we should assemble a panel to podcast about it, contact us!

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WALKER, The CW

PREMIERE DATE: January 21, 2021

TIME SLOT: Thursdays at 8/7c

WHO: Jared Padalecki (Supernatural), Lindsey Morgan (The 100), Keegan Allen (Pretty Little Liars), Mitch Pileggi (Supernatural, The X-Files), Molly Hagan (iZombie, Jane the Virgin), Coby Bell (The Gifted), Jeff Pierre (Once Upon a Time, Beyond)

WHAT: The Walker, Texas Ranger reboot follows Cordell Walker (Padalecki), a widower and father of two with his own moral code, who returns to Austin after being undercover for two years, only to discover there’s harder work to be done at home. He’ll attempt to reconnect with his children, navigate clashes with his family, and find unexpected common ground with his new partner (one of the first women in Texas Rangers history), while growing increasingly suspicious about the circumstances surrounding his wife’s death.

Teaser available here.

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PICK UP OR PASS?

VERDICT: Very Hesitantly Pick Up. I am not sure how many of our viewers and listeners, i.e. our resident Couch Potatoes and Couch Potatoes-adjacent, watched the original Walker, Texas Ranger, starring Chuck Norris. If you did, please comment below. The Chief Couch Potato and author of these annual progress reports never did; westerns aren’t quite in the wheelhouse, and I was never a fan of Master Norris beyond a bemused appreciation of his existence. Yet, Jared Padalecki is/was Sam Winchester, and he’s earned the trust of at least six of us for 15 years. I think it’s worth seeing what he does with the role – he could just elevate it. Or, he could make Chuck Norris cry. Wait, does Chuck Norris cry? Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to tears, or we’ll walk(er) right out the door.

What? No? That doesn’t work either? I’ll see myself out again.

PANDEMIC EDIT: The teaser has been reviewed. Meh. It does not provide much in the way of any kind of information that could not be gleaned from a simple knowledge of anything having to do with “Walker” and “Texas Ranger.” Still, JarPad is in it, and after years of stellar reliability on Supernatural and Gilmore Girls, he deserves at least one watch for fair chance’s and judgment’s sake (and in this CP’s opinion, he’s far more easy on the eyes than Chuck Norris, but to each their own).

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WEAKEST LINK, NBC

TIME SLOT: Mondays at 10/9c

WHO: Host Jane Lynch

WHAT: The reboot “will deliver the fast-paced and quick-witted pillars of the original British format created by the BBC with a few modern twists,” per the network. “The hybrid game show sees contestants answer general knowledge questions to bank prize money across multiple rounds. At the end of each round, the contestants vote out who they perceive to be the Weakest Link remaining.”

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PICK UP OR PASS?

VERDICT: Pass. This reboot is the weakest link. Goodbye.

(Look, we love Jane Lynch as much as the next person, but she can’t possibly be nearly as withering as Anne Robinson without sounding like Sue Sylvester. Also, it’s another game show….which is probably the en vogue way to fill empty airing slots when TV production has been shut down for months by a pandemic. You know I’m right.)

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STATUS: Ten episodes have aired as of the publication of this post. There is no widely publicized word regarding how many episodes have been ordered nor has an announcement yet been made regarding renewal or cancellation.

CPU! STATUS: It’s still the weakest link (and a game show). Goodbye.

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YOUNG ROCK, NBC

PREMIERE DATE: 2021

TIME SLOT: TBA

WHO: Dwayne Johnson

WHAT: The single-cam comedy chronicles the formative childhood years of Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock.

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PICK UP OR PASS?

VERDICT: Pass. The audience for this show is going to have to *really* love the Rock. The Rock is fine. The Rock is nice. The Rock is the voice of Maui in Moana. Do we need a sitcom about his life story? Without a trailer, I’m thinking that the answer is no, but if you think we’re not giving due deference to Mr. Johnson, ring that bell (or, just send us an email, or comment down below).

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CONNECTING, NBC

WHO: Parvesh Cheena, Keith Powell

WHAT: Set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the series follows the lives of a group of friends who try to stay connected via videotelephony as they navigate through the various nuances of life in a lockdown.

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PICK UP OR PASS?

VERDICT: Pass. This “COVID era” series was announced late and canceled too quickly to be enticing; plus, Toofer from 30 Rock is the only familiar presence, as delightful a presence as he might be. It’s not even worth the look, given how quickly NBC tossed it from the main network lineup to its streaming outlets.

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STATUS: Officially canceled! In November 2020, NBC canceled this new entry and burned off remaining episodes on Peacock and the NBC streaming apps. The series finale aired on November 16, 2020, after a total of eight episodes.

CPU! STATUS: The reviews were generally favorable, but the audience was decidedly anemic, and it’s fairly obvious why. In a pandemic-driven quarantine/isolation/shutdown/slowed world order due to a contagious virus, people want to go to there, i.e. TV, for escape, not to watch a Zoom or equivalent conversation play out on their television screens. THAT’S WHAT WE’RE DOING RIGHT NOW EVERYDAY – those who work in offices, education, and similar, anyway. Too soon, Peacock Party, too soon.

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TRICKSTER, CW

PREMIERE DATE: January 12, 2021

TIME SLOT: Tuesdays at 9/8c

WHO: Joel Oulette

WHAT: A Canadian series adaptation of Eden Robinson’s supernatural novel Son of a Trickster.

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PICK UP OR PASS?

VERDICT: Hesitantly Pick Up. A preview of a trailer shows a somewhat solid supernatural premise situated within Canadian indigenous cultures. The series is short and is being given American network treatment in a time of COVID, so we’re always happy to dip into horror/fantasy waters, even if it’s just a test.

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The following is a link to all premiere dates for shows covered beyond the main networks: 

http://www.metacritic.com/feature/tv-premiere-dates

Non-Broadcast Network Pick-Ups

Crossing Swords (Hulu): It’s an animated spoof of “Game of Thrones.” It’s not very well reviewed, but maybe we need the catharsis. Plus, Hulu already renewed it for a second season, so something must be right about it. (Released June 12, 2020)

The latest stop-motion-animated comedy from the team behind Robot Chicken is a spoof of Game of Thrones (and similar projects) featuring the voices of Nicholas Hoult, Seth Green, Tony Hale, Luke Evans, Adam Pally, and Wendi McClendon-Covey.

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STATUS: Officially renewed for Season 2! Hulu renewed this animated spoof on June 18, 2020. The Season 1 finale was released on December 21, 2020, with a total of ten episodes.

CPU! STATUS: Not yet viewed.

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Love, Victor (Hulu): It has already been requested for the podcast and may feature as part of a future Pride month series, especially since it was already renewed for a second season. (Released June 17, 2020)

Originally developed for Disney+ before moving to the more adult-oriented Hulu, this 10-episode spin-off from the 2018 feature film Love, Simon (itself an adaptation of a YA novel by Becky Albertalli) centers on a new character, Victor (Michael Cimino), a gay teen who is adjusting to life in a new city and at a new high school. The film’s star (and titular Simon), Nick Robinson, will narrate the series, and the cast also includes Sophia Bush, James Martinez, and Ana Ortiz.

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STATUS: Officially renewed for Season 2! Hulu renewed this drama in August 2020. The first season consisting of ten episodes was released on June 17, 2020.

CPU! STATUS: As above, this series was requested for podcast coverage shortly after its release and may feature as part of a future Pride month series.

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Perry Mason (HBO): This reboot is critically acclaimed, and though initially billed as a miniseries, it has been renewed for a second season. (Premiered June 21, 2020)

Matthew Rhys (The Americans) stars as the titular criminal defense attorney in this remake of the classic TV drama that aired in various forms, most famously as an Emmy-winning series on CBS from 1957-66 (with Raymond Burr in the title role). HBO’s version is also based on the Los Angeles-set novels and stories by author Erle Stanley Gardner, though the time period is now 1931, when Mason is trying to eke out a living as a private investigator and gets drawn into a case involving a child kidnapping. John Lithgow, Tatiana Maslany, Shea Whigham, Stephen Root, Nate Corddry, Lili Taylor, Robert Patrick, and Juliet Rylance also star.

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STATUS: Officially renewed for Season 2! HBO renewed this remake in July 2020. The Season 1 finale aired on August 9, 2020, with a total of eight episodes.

CPU! STATUS: Not yet viewed.

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Brave New World (Peacock): Though the reviews are mixed, why not take a look at a small screen adaptation of a dystopian novel to match our real-life dystopia? The book is a must-read (along with “1984”). (Released July 15, 2020)

After a lengthy journey to the small screen that saw the property change networks twice (it was previously intended for Syfy and then USA), this series adaptation of Aldous Huxley’s classic 1932 novel set in a theoretically utopian (but in actuality more dystopian) future London is the highest-profile original show available on the public launch day for Comcast’s new streaming service. (As with other Peacock originals, you’ll need to be a “Premium” member to watch it, though Comcast and Cox cable subscribers will get a free premium subscription.) Harry Lloyd, Jessica Brown Findlay, and Alden Ehrenreich head a cast that also includes Demi Moore, Kylie Bunbury, and Hannah John-Kamen. The adaptation, a co-production with the UK’s Sky, comes from David Wiener, who previously wrote for Homecoming and The Killing.

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STATUS: Officially canceled! NBC canceled this adaptation in October 2020. The entire series was released on July 15, 2020, with a total of nine episodes.

CPU! STATUS: Critical reception was middling to below average for this one and done series; audience reception is difficult to gauge, since it appeared on Peacock. I believe that this series suffered from the same general barriers as Fox’s NEXT: the globe is already cooped up at home for months on end due to a global pandemic, where technology is getting smarter and better, and where everything feels modestly apocalyptic and somewhat totalitarian in a socio-political context. The book is important, however, despite some of its problematic contextual themes arising from the time period in which it was written; hoping that it did not end on a cliffhanger, and knowing the end of the novel, I think CPU! will still take a look someday, if not anytime soon. If you want us to take a look at it faster and voice some feelings, email us at couchpotatoesunitepodcast@gmailcom or get at us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Be part of our brave new world, why don’t you?

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Cursed (Netflix): It’s already been requested for the podcast, and, really, who doesn’t love an alternative take on the Arthurian legend? Though it will be probably be canceled after 2 seasons (who gets that joke?).  (Released July 17, 2020)

Katherine Langford stars in a gritty take on the Arthurian legend told from the perspective of Nimue, the Lady of the Lake.

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STATUS: Season 1 was released on July 17, 2020, with a total of ten episodes. No announcement regarding renewal or cancellation has yet been made.

CPU! STATUS: As above, this series was requested for podcast coverage shortly after its release and will come to CPU! sometime in the future; if you would like to join this budding panel, please feel free to contact us!

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Muppets Now (Disney+): Muppets. Like you have to ask. (Premiered July 31, 2020)

The first new Muppets title for Disney’s streaming service is a six-episode, short-form “unscripted” series featuring classic Muppets characters. Non-Muppet guest stars include Aubrey Plaza, RuPaul, Linda Cardellini, and Seth Rogen (who, admittedly, might be part Muppet).

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STATUS: The Season 1 finale aired on September 4, 2020, with a total of six episodes. No announcement regarding renewal or cancellation has yet been made.

CPU! STATUS: Not yet viewed.

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Star Trek: Lower Decks (CBS All Access): This is an automatic pick-up for our “Star Trek 50+ Series,” but the critics have not been kind to it, even though CBS has already ordered production on a second season. (Premiered August 6, 2020)

CBS All Access expands its growing Star Trek universe with the first animated series in the franchise in 46 years. Lower Decks comes from Rick and Morty writer Mike McMahan (who also co-created Hulu’s just-debuted Solar Opposites) and centers on a group of low-ranking crew members aboard one of Starfleet’s least-important ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos. (It’s a comedy, in case you were wondering.) The voice cast includes Noel Wells, Jerry O’Connell, Tawny Newsome, Eugene Cordero, Dawnn Lewis, and Jack Quaid. A second season has already been ordered.

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STATUS: Officially renewed for Season 2! CBS ordered two seasons in its first series order. The Season 1 finale aired on October 8, 2020, with a total of ten episodes.

CPU! STATUS: This series will be folded into our Star Trek 50+ Series, though preliminary reviews from our resident Trekkers yielded roughly the same level of tepidity as the critical reaction.

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Lovecraft Country (HBO): This has also been quickly requested for the podcast. With Jordan Peele and JJ Abrams at the helm, and a combination of social commentary as well as historical commentary about notorious racist HP Lovecraft (who also wrote about lovable monsters like Cthulu), this is being described as a must-watch and a must-discuss. (Premiered August 16, 2020)

Producers Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams join forces for a series adaptation of Matt Ruff’s novel of the same name, an allegorical horror tale set in segregated 1950s America where three Black Americans on a road trip to find a missing person must overcome both human racists and Lovecraftian supernatural forces. Jonathan Majors, Jurnee Smollett, Aunjanue Ellis, Jada Harris, Courtney B. Vance, and Michael Kenneth Williams head the cast.

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STATUS: The Season 1 aired on October 18, 2020, with a total of ten episodes. No announcement regarding renewal or cancellation has yet been made.

CPU! STATUS: As above, this series was requested for podcast coverage shortly after its release; we already have a full panel waiting in the wings, so this show will be covered on the podcast in the future for sure!

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Raised by Wolves (HBO Max): Science fiction with contributions by Ridley Scott! The “Alien” man himself! (Releases September 3, 2020)

Originally developed for TNT, this HBO Max original sci-fi series marks the American TV directorial debut for Ridley Scott. He directs the first two episodes of a 10-episode season set on a mysterious planet where androids are tasked with raising human children in a colony that is being torn apart by religious differences. The series comes from screenwriter Aaron Guzikowski (Prisoners) and stars Travis Fimmel (Vikings), Amanda Collin, and Abubakar Salim.

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STATUS: Officially renewed for Season 2! HBO renewed this sci-fi thriller in September 2020. The Season 1 finale aired on October 1, 2020, with a total of ten episodes.

CPU! STATUS: Not yet viewed.

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Away (Netflix): Science fiction dreaming of trips to Mars. (Releases September 4, 2020)

Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights), Matt Reeves (Felicity), and Andrew Hinderaker (Penny Dreadful) combine for a 10-episode Netflix drama series depicting the first manned mission to Mars, based loosely on a recent Esquire story by Chris Jones. Hilary Swank heads the cast as the astronaut in charge of the year-long international mission, while Josh Charles plays her husband (and NASA engineer) left behind on Earth to care for their teenage daughter. Ed Zwick directs the pilot.

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STATUS: Officially canceled! The series was released on September 4, 2020, with a total of ten episodes. Netflix canceled it in October 2020.

CPU! STATUS: Critical reception hovered starkly in the middle for this one and done series; audience reception is difficult to gauge, since it appeared on Netflix. The consensus of opinion seems to focus on the fact that this series relied on science fiction tropes too heavily while allowing its cast to elevate what could have been something rather by rote. Though in no hurry to do so, I think CPU! will still take a look someday, if not anytime soon. If you want us to take a look at it faster before doing completely “away” with it (ahem), email us at couchpotatoesunitepodcast@gmailcom or get at us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

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Noughts + Crosses (Peacock): Alternative history stories are popular around here, and the timely social commentary could be ham-fisted, but it could also be a jolt when and where a jolt is needed. (Premieres September 4, 2020)

American premiere of the BBC-produced YA series based on Malorie Blackman’s novel set in the present day of an alternate world where Africa colonized Europe and enslaved its white citizens.

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STATUS: Season 1 was released in the USA on Peacock on September 4, 2020, with a total of six episodes. No announcement regarding renewal or cancellation has yet been made.

CPU! STATUS: Not yet viewed.

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Power Book II: Ghost (Starz): The original “Power” series has been on the request list for sometime, so the possibility of making this a podcast discussion series for CPU! is powerfully high. (Premieres September 6, 2020)

The first of four planned spinoffs from the recently concluded Starz original series Power stars Mary J. Blige, Method Man, Sherri Saurn, Shane Johnson, Naturi Naughton, and Michael Rainey Jr, and picks up the action just days after the events of the Power finale. Subsequent episodes will air Sundays at 8p.

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STATUS: Officially renewed for Season 2! Starz renewed this sequel spin-off series in September 2020. Nine of ten ordered episodes have aired as of the publication of this post, with the series finale slated to air on January 3, 2021.

CPU! STATUS: Not yet viewed.

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Woke (Hulu): Lamorne Morris meets a hybrid animated/live action vehicle addressing some timely social commentary; we imagine some of the Winston magic will seep into the proceedings. (Releases September 9, 2020)

Lamorne Morris (New Girl) stars in this timely comedy about a Black cartoonist living in San Francisco who has an encounter with cops that changes his life. The semi-autobiographical series from real-life cartoonist Keith Knight (The K Chronicles) mixes some animated sequences with live action. All eight episodes stream today.

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STATUS: Officially renewed for Season 2! Hulu renewed this hybrid comedy on November 17, 2020. Season 1 was released on September 9, 2020, with a total of eight episodes.

CPU! STATUS: Not yet viewed.

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Julie and the Phantoms (Netflix): It’s musical and carries with it, at least if the premise synopsis is read right, a slight satricial bend – it could also be Netflix’s answer to “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist,” but we’ll never know until we try. (Premieres September 10, 2020)

High School Musical director Kenny Ortega returns with a new musical series for Netflix about a high school singer who rekindles her love of music after being approached by the ghosts of three dead ’90s pop stars. It’s based on a Brazilian series.

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STATUS: Season 1 was released on September 10, 2020, with a total of nine episodes. No announcement regarding renewal or cancellation has yet been made.

CPU! STATUS: Since its release, this series was requested for podcast coverage; if you would like to join the seeded panel, let us know!

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The Third Day (HBO, Miniseries): The plot premise is confusing yet intriguing and original; plus, there is a fine cast in this British import. Everything kind of makes you want to watch it, including imagining a trailer in your head for this sort of story. (Premieres September 14, 2020)

Rescheduled from May 2020. Co-produced by the UK’s Sky, this six-part limited series is divided into two sections: “Summer” and “Winter.” The former tells the story of Sam (Jude Law), who finds himself drawn to a mysterious and isolated island off the British coast whose inhabitants are determined to preserve their traditions “at any cost,” while the latter centers on Helen (Naomie Harris), whose arrival on the same island throws its future into question. Emily Watson, Katherine Waterston, and Paddy Considine also star.

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STATUS: The series finale aired on October 19, 2020, with a total of six episodes and one intervening special. Because this program was advertised as a miniseries, no announcement regarding renewal or cancellation is expected to be made.

CPU! STATUS: Not yet viewed.

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Ratched (Netflix): This unlikely “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” prequel created by Ryan Murphy has already been requested for the podcast…when no one has even seen it yet... Plus, it’s already been renewed for a second season… (Releases September 18, 2020)

Already renewed for a second season, the latest Netflix series from Ryan Murphy serves as a prequel to the 1975 film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (and Ken Kesey’s novel), with Sarah Paulson starring as a younger version of the character Nurse Mildred Ratched (a role originated by Oscar-winner Louise Fletcher in the movie). The creepy 1947-set drama also stars Cynthia Nixon, Judy Davis, Sharon Stone, Corey Stoll, Finn Wittrock, and Vincent D’Onofrio.

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STATUS: Officially renewed for Season 2! Netflix ordered two seasons upon picking up this Ryan Murphy entry. Season 1 was released on September 18, 2020, with a total of eight episodes.

CPU! STATUS: As above, this series was requested for podcast coverage before its release; if you would like to join the seeded panel, get a hold of us!

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Utopia (Amazon Prime): The premise gives this reviewer chills; after all, we have a lot of comic book fans in our ranks, some of whom also like thrillers/horror. I’m guessing it’s a Utopian choice. (Releases September 25, 2020)

This long-gestating conspiracy thriller—an adaptation of a 2013 UK series that was first developed for HBO as a David Fincher project beginning in 2014, only for the network and the director to drop out over budget concerns—comes from author Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl), who also serves as showrunner. The story revolves around a group of obsessive comic book fans who find themselves targeted by a shadowy government organization after they gain possession of an underground graphic novel that depicts a conspiracy that may not be entirely fictional. John Cusack, Sasha Lane, Rainn Wilson, Dan Byrd, Desmin Borges, and Jessica Rothe star.

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STATUS: Officially canceled! Amazon canceled this complex thriller in November 2020. Season 1 was released on September 25, 2020, with a total of eight episodes.

CPU! STATUS: Critical reception ran in the middle to below average for this one and done series; audience reception is difficult to gauge, since it appeared on Amazon Prime. The consensus of opinion noted the violence and the timing of dealing with governmental conspiracy in an era where the effectiveness of operating governments is seriously in question, in the USA and beyond. Still, some of our resident Couch Potatoes mentioned this one positively (while also referring to the ample gore), so, though in no hurry to do so, I think CPU! will still take a look someday, if not anytime soon. If you want us to take a look at it faster, email us at couchpotatoesunitepodcast@gmailcom or get at us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to discuss whether “Utopia” is the best name of a TV series of such a dark nature.

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Monsterland (Hulu): A cast of some CPU! favorites combined with some fertile fantasy and horror potential makes this one seem like an easy pick-up. (Releases October 2, 2020)

Hulu’s eight-episode anthology adapts short stories from Nathan Ballingrud’s book North American Lake Monsters. The ensemble includes Taylor Schilling, Mike Colter, Kaitlyn Dever, Hamish Linklater, Bill Camp, Kelly Marie Tran, Jonathan Tucker, and Nicole Beharie. All episodes stream today.

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STATUS: Season 1 was released on October 2, 2020, with a total of eight episodes. No announcement regarding renewal or cancellation has yet been made.

CPU! STATUS: Not yet viewed.

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The Good Lord Bird (Showtime, Miniseries): The trailer intrigues, the cast is dynamite, and these kinds of historical stories need to be told and retold. (Premieres October 4, 2020)

Reschuled from spring and then summer. Albert Hughes (replacing Anthony Hemingway, who left the project due to scheduling conflicts) directs this delayed eight-episode adaptation of the award-winning novel by James McBride about 19th century abolitionist John Brown, played by Ethan Hawke. Daveed Diggs (playing Frederick Douglass), Lodge 49‘s Wyatt Russell, David Morse, Steve Zahn, Orlando Jones, and Ellar Coltrane also star.

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STATUS: The series finale aired on November 15, 2020, with a total of seven episodes. Because this program was advertised as a miniseries, no announcement regarding renewal or cancellation is expected to be made.

CPU! STATUS: Since its release, this series was requested for podcast coverage; if you would like to join the seeded panel, let us know!

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The Walking Dead: The World Beyond (AMC): “The Walking Dead” has also been on the request list for a time. Will the potential panel want to veer into the franchise of zombie spin-offs? We’ll ask them when we catch up to it, which will probably be in the World Beyond. (Premieres October 4, 2020)

Rescheduled from April 2020. The latest Walking Dead spinoff follows a new set of characters who are all part of the generation born after the start of the zombie menace. The series is designed to run for just two seasons unlike the other Walking Dead shows, which refuse to end.

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STATUS: Officially renewed for Season 2; however, Season 2 will be the final season! AMC ordered two seasons for this series when it greenlit the show. The Season 1 finale aired on November 29, 2020, with a total of ten episodes.

CPU! STATUS: Not yet viewed.

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Soulmates (AMC): An intriguing science fiction premise meets AMC’s willingness to go wacky. We think it’s a match made in heaven. (Premieres October 5, 2020)

Recently renewed for a 2nd season, this six-episode anthology series from Will Bridges and Brett Goldstein (adapting their own short film For Life) is set 15 years in the future, when new technology allows every person on the planet to know the identity of their soulmate. Each episode will find a different set of characters dealing with the repercussions of this breakthrough in a different way. Season 1 stars include Shamier Anderson, Malin Akerman, Betsy Brandt, Kingsley Ben-Adir, David Costabile, Charlie Heaton, and Sarah Snook.

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STATUS: Officially renewed for Season 2! AMC renewed this series in August 2020 ahead of its premiere. The Season 1 finale aired on November 9, 2020, with a total of six episodes.

CPU! STATUS: Not yet viewed.

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The Right Stuff (Disney+): Television remake of an Oscar-winning film about the American space program, with Disney’s funding. It potentially has all the right stuff. (Premieres October 9, 2020)

Originally developed for Nat Geo before moving over to Disney’s streaming service, The Right Stuff is a new drama series adaptation of Tom Wolfe’s nonfiction book chronicling the early days of America’s space program. (That book, of course, was previously adapted into the terrific Oscar-winning 1983 film of the same name.) Patrick J. Adams, Jake McDorman, Patrick Fischler, Colin O’Donoghue, James Lafferty, Aaron Staton, and Michael Trotter head the cast. Season 1 focuses in depth on the seven astronauts in the Mercury program, and potential future seasons would cover other stories and historical figures. Two episodes stream today, with the remaining six hours arriving one per week on Fridays.

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STATUS: The Season 1 finale aired on November 20, 2020, with a total of eight episodes. No announcement regarding renewal or cancellation has yet been made.

CPU! STATUS: Not yet viewed.

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Marvel’s Helstrom (Hulu): Marvel meets horror? I can’t imagine many of the CPU! faithful NOT watching this. (Premieres October 16, 2020)

Marvel’s latest TV venture is a horror series starring Elizabeth Marvel (no relation) as the institutionalized mother of two adult children (Tom Austen, Sydney Lemmon) with superpowers who moonlight as demon hunters, drawing on their backgrounds as the offspring of Satan. All 10 episodes stream today.

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STATUS: Officially canceled! Season 1 was released on October 16, 2020, with a total of ten episodes. Hulu canceled the series on December 14, 2020.

CPU! STATUS: Critical reception proved quite negative for this Marvel Hulu entry; audience reception is difficult to gauge, since it appeared on what is essentially the Disney Adult Streaming Division. The consensus of opinion noted that the show was dull, formulaic, and uninteresting; the Chief CP took a sneak peek at the premiere and found it to be largely uninspired. We do have a lot of comic book-oriented resident Couch Potatoes, however, so, though in no hurry to do so, I think CPU! will still take a look someday, if not anytime soon. If you want us to take a look at it faster, email us at couchpotatoesunitepodcast@gmailcom or get at us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. No jokes this time.

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The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix): There are some percolating Couch Potatoes requesting this chess-flavored miniseries. (Releases October 23, 2020)

Anya Taylor-Joy stars as a young chess prodigy in a six-episode adaptation of Walter Tevis’ novel from acclaimed screenwriter turned director Scott Frank.

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STATUS: The series was released on October 23, 2020, with a total of seven episodes. Because this program was advertised as a miniseries, no announcement regarding renewal or cancellation is expected to be made.

CPU! STATUS: Since its release, this series was requested for podcast coverage; if you would like to join the seeded panel, let us know!

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The Undoing (HBO): Lots of Water Cooler coverage and talk on and offline intrigues – plus, my Chromecast really keeps pushing this one…a conspiracy I wish to undo. (Premieres October 25, 2020)

Rescheduled from May 2020. Big Little Lies creator David E. Kelley returns to HBO—and reunites with star Nicole Kidman—for a six-episode adaptation of Jean Hanff Korelitz’s 2014 novel You Should Have Known, a psychological thriller about a therapist, wife, and mother (Kidman) who, on the cusp of a major success, finds herself plunged into a crisis triggered by a violent death. Susanne Bier (The Night Manager) directs every episode of the series, which also stars Hugh Grant, Donald Sutherland, Lily Rabe, Edgar Ramirez, and Noah Jupe.

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STATUS: The series finale aired on November 29, 2020, with a total of six episodes. Because this program was advertised as a miniseries, no announcement regarding renewal or cancellation is expected to be made.

CPU! STATUS: Not yet viewed.

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Truth Seekers (Amazon Prime): Requested for the podcast, it’s been billed as funny – it’s a send-up of “Ghost Hunter” type vehicles and features Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. That’s a recipe for some type of success, methinks, and we’re prepared to seek the truth. (Releases October 30, 2020)

Frequent movie co-stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost reunite on the small screen for the first time since Spaced with a supernatural comedy series that they co-created with James Serafinowicz and Nat Saunders. They star as employees of a broadband provider who balance out their boring day jobs with a more interesting sideline: paranormal investigations, which they share with the public online. Malcolm McDowell and Emma D’Arcy co-star.

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STATUS: Season 1 was released on October 30, 2020, with a total of eight episodes. No announcement regarding renewal or cancellation has yet been made.

CPU! STATUS: Since its release, this series was requested for podcast coverage; if you would like to join the seeded panel, let us know!

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Two Weeks to Live (HBO Max): It comes down to the presence of Maisie Williams, why this character is a doomsday prepper, and how that affects the overall premise (if at all…). (Premieres November 5, 2020)

Likened by some British TV writers to Killing Eve, this darkly comedic six-episode UK import stars Game of Thrones‘ Maisie Williams as a doomsday prepper who enlists her two brothers on a mission to avenge the murder of her father. (Let’s hope she brought Needle.) Sian Clifford (Fleabag) also stars.

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STATUS: The series finale aired on October 7, 2020, with a total of six episodes. Because this program was advertised as a miniseries, no announcement regarding renewal or cancellation is expected to be made.

CPU! STATUS: Not yet viewed.

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I Hate Suzie (HBO Max): The British peoples love it, and why wouldn’t they WHEN ROSE TYLER IS IN IT? We’re here for Billie. (Premieres November 19, 2020)

Doctor Who‘s Billie Piper stars as a celebrity who has her phone hacked, resulting in the public exposure of graphic photos of an extramarital affair. The darkly comedic, eight-episode British series comes from Lucy Prebble, who has written for Succession. The UK press greeted the series with an enthusiastic response when it debuted on Sky in August.

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STATUS: Season 1 was released on November 19, 2020, with a total of eight episodes. No announcement regarding renewal or cancellation has yet been made.

CPU! STATUS: Not yet viewed.

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Animaniacs (Hulu): We have baloney in our slacks and a plan to podcast both the original series and this originally-voiced reboot in the coming year, if not the coming quarter. (Premieres November 20, 2020)

The Steven Spielberg-produced 1990s animated series gets a Hulu reboot that will bring 13 new episodes today and a second season sometime in 2021. Returning characters including Yakko, Wakko, and Dot, as well as Pinky and the Brain, all voinced by the original actors.

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STATUS: Officially renewed for Season 2! Two seasons were ordered when this revival of the animated classic was given a go. Season 1 was released on November 20, 2020, with a total of thirteen episodes.

CPU! STATUS: Our Animaniacs “Looking Back to Look Forward” Series is currently in the production line and will most likely be published in 2021.

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Saved By the Bell (Peacock): In the era of reboots and sequels, this might be the one we regret the most, but enough people talk about the original Bayside gang, we’d probably be remiss in not checking it out (Premieres November 25, 2020)

Original stars Elizabeth Berkley and Mario Lopez return for a revival of the 1990s teen sitcom that is again set at Bayside High School but in the present day (albeit a fictitious version of the present day in which Mark-Paul Gosselaar’s Zack Morris is now the governor of California). New cast members include John Michael Higgins. The reboot comes from 30 Rock writer (and Great News creator) Tracey Wigfield.

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STATUS: Season 1 was released on November 25, 2020, with a total of ten episodes. No announcement regarding renewal or cancellation has yet been made.

CPU! STATUS: Not yet viewed.

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Selena: The Series (Netflix): This series has already been requested for podcast coverage. (Premieres November 25, 2020)

Christian Serratos (The Walking Dead) portrays the late Tejano pop star Selena Quintanilla in a two-part series dramatizing her life and career. The first part, spanning six episodes, streams today, with the remainder arriving at a later date.

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STATUS: Part One of Season 1 was released on December 4, 2020, with a total of nine episodes. No announcement regarding renewal or cancellation has yet been made.

CPU! STATUS: Since its release, this series was requested for podcast coverage; if you would like to join the seeded panel, let us know!

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The Stand (CBS All Access, Miniseries): Stephen King allegedly wrote a new ending….but there’s already been a miniseries and a book with an original ending for decades. We might have to watch just for the comparison’s sake. (Premieres December 17, 2020)

Streaming weekly, this nine-episode adaptation of Stephen King’s epic apocalyptic novel about life in America after a devastating global pandemic (no relation) stars Alexander Skarsgård, Whoopi Goldberg, James Marsden, Amber Heard, Heather Graham, Greg Kinnear, Odessa Young, and Nat Wolff. The series, which wrapped up two years of production just before covid-19 hit, features an all-new ending written by King.

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STATUS: The series was released on October 2, 2020, with a total of eight episodes. Because this program was advertised as a miniseries, no announcement regarding renewal or cancellation is expected to be made.

CPU! STATUS: Not yet viewed.

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Bridgerton (Netflix): Shonda Rimes’ first Netflix series – an answer for all those that might love “Downton Abbey” – has already been requested for podcast coverage… (Releases December 25, 2020)

Is this the next Downton Abbey? Producer Shonda Rhimes’ first Netflix series is created by Scandal‘s Chris Van Dusen, who adapts Julia Quinn’s popular novel series. The costume drama is set in London in the 1810s, where it focuses on the large and powerful Bridgerton family and other members of the city’s aristocracy. Julie Andrews, Polly Walker, Rege-Jean Page, Ruby Barker, Jonathan Bailey, Claudia Jessie, Ruth Gemmell, Luke Thompson, and Luke Newton are among the stars.

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STATUS: Season 1 was released on December 25, 2020, with a total of eight episodes. No announcement regarding renewal or cancellation has yet been made.

CPU! STATUS: Since its release, this series was requested for podcast coverage; if you would like to join the seeded panel, let us know!

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The Watch (BBC America): This long anticipated adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s “Discworld” has been on the CPU! watch list for a bit. (Premieres January 3, 2021)

Terry Pratchett’s beloved Discworld novels come to the small screen in a BBC-produced eight-episode series from Simon Allen (Das Boot). The series will be a comedic fantasy crime procedural centering on the misfit police force (aka The City Watch) of the Discworld city of Ankh-Morpork. Richard Dormer, Lara Rossi, Wendell Pierce, and Matt Berry are among the stars. Various versions of the series have been in and out of production for most of the past decade, and fans of the books have been discouraged by the BBC’s early marketing attempts (which suggested to some that the series will deviate in both tone and content from Pratchett’s work).

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WandaVision (Disney+): This long anticipated first of the MCU television train on Disney+ has been on the CPU! watch list for a bit; plus, we have a few resident podcasters already salivating over the whole schedule – if you want to be on any Disney+ MCU panels (or Star Wars panels), speak quickly! (Premieres January 15, 2021)

Disney+’s first (of many) series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the massively budgeted WandaVision is also the most unusual Marvel series to date. Centering on the characters of Wanda/Scarlet Witch and Vision (played by Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany, reprising their big-screen roles), the six-episode series takes a self-aware approach by cycling the pair through different decades of the recent past, forcing them to adapt to a variety of classic TV tropes along the way. (Today’s 1950s-set opener, for example, was filmed in black-and-white with vintage equipment and utilizes a live studio audience to emulate the feel of an early sitcom, while a future episode will embrace the mockumentary style of The Office.) Matt Shakman directs a cast that also includes Kathryn Hahn, Teyonah Parris, Randall Park, and Kat Dennings.

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Resident Alien (SyFy): Alan Tudyk is a national treasure (#justiceforwash!), and there seems to be some potential for merry space-related science fiction comedy. It feels like the whole thing is in our residential wheelhouse. (Premieres January 27, 2021)

Alan Tudyk stars in an adaptation of the Dark Horse comic about an alien (the space kind) who crash lands on Earth and passes himself off as a country doctor. Will he choose to fit in with his neighbors, or will he pursue his original mission: killing all humans. Allice Wetterlund, Corey Reynolds, Sara Tomko, and Levi Fiehler also star.

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The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Disney+, Miniseries): Another long anticipated MCU television entry on Disney+ also being salivated over – if you want to be on any Disney+ MCU panels (or Star Wars panels), speak quickly! (Premieres March 19, 2021)

Delayed (by the pandemic) from its original August launch window, the latest TV series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe finds Anthony Mackie (as Sam Wilson/Falcon) and Sebastian Stan (as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier) reprising their film roles. Daniel Bruhl, Emily VanCamp, and Wyatt Russell also star in the Malcolm Spellman-guided (Empire) series, which picks up after the events of Avengers: Endgame and cost a reported $150 million to make. There are just six episodes (streaming one per week), and for now it looks like it’ll be a miniseries rather than an ongoing show, though that could change.

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Others on radar: The Lord of the Rings series in development at Amazon; The Chronicles of Narnia at Netflix; The Wheel of Time at Amazon; Conan at Amazon; The Dark Tower at Amazon; all Marvel and Star Wars TV properties in development at Disney+; the Three-Body Problem adaptation at Netflix.

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Remember, new episodes and blog posts are published weekly!  Next week, Couch Potatoes Unite! will start the New Year 2021 with a triumphant return by our DCTU Series panel to the Water Cooler to get caught up on Season 3 of Black Lightning just in time for the return of the CWVerse (i.e. the Arrowverse, rebranded). Stay tuned for all of the electric fun!