Fall TV - PART ONE - NBC

In today’s post, we will break down some of the shows that are being introduced for the first time this fall as well as some returning for their sophomore effort. Also in this list will be a few shows that have been around for a while, some of which will be gone after this season. I will be breaking the posts down by network to keep your attention.

This is by no means a complete list of shows coming on in the fall. I don’t find it necessary to tell you about NJ Housewives or CSI: SVU or other stuff that is well below my age group (think CW or MTV productions). I will be mostly looking at shows that have some promise based on either its writing team or casting choices.

Read on and see if you agree with what is presented. Don’t forget to comment, particularly if you don’t agree. I love debate.

Revolution (Mondays, 9pm CST)

This new sci-fi series is a JJ Abrams and Bryan Burk production. That sentence alone may be just enough to lure in all of the LOST fans out there. Throw in the fact that it stars Giancarlo Esposito of Breaking Bad fame and Billy Burke from the Twilight saga (I really want to type mess not saga, but that’s just me), you have an even bigger audience before the show even hits the airwaves.

The show takes place 15 years after the world’s technology is disabled by some unknown force. Operational electronics ranging from computers and cell phones to car engines and good old AA batteries, no longer are operational. This shakes the government’s ability to govern and now many areas are led by militias and warlords. At the heart of the series, a family may have possession of an item that can not only help them find out what happened when the world went black but may possibly be able to reverse the damage done.

The only problem I can foresee with this series is NBC has a long track record of bringing in a sci-fi genre show, getting people hooked in the first season, and then sending it to the gallows shortly thereafter (think Awake, V). Hopefully, NBC gets the viewers they need to keep it going without sentencing it to death before it gets a real chance.

Go On (Tuesdays, 8pm CST)

A new sitcom from NBC starring Friends alum Matthew Perry as a sportscaster that joins a support group to deal with a loss. Though the actual premiere is slated for September 11^th, the network has scheduled a preview on August 8^th, after the Olympics.

Perry hasn’t had a whole lot of luck on network television since Friends went off the air. His quirky, fast-talking cynicism worked on that show as well as his best known feature, The Whole Nine Yards, but it hasn’t had a great track record otherwise.

In Go On, Perry’s quick wit may prove to be the magic he has been looking for. While the overall premise of the show is group counseling with a bit of fun thrown in, one can’t picture a grief-stricken widow getting a chuckle from some dude joining their little group.

This show may be fun but it may end up in the trash pile along with some of Perry’s other efforts.

Grimm (Mondays August 13^th, 20^th and 27^th, 9pm CST; Fridays 8pm CST starting September 14th )

Ah, police procedurals. They are everywhere and have been for years. They’re all just about the same, until Grimm came along in late October 2011.

Grimm is a police show with a supernatural twist. The show focuses on Det. Nick Burkhardt, who works for the Portland Police Bureau and finds out he comes from a long line of ancestors known as Grimms. It is the duty of a Grimm to keep the peace between humans and the mythical creatures that walk among us.

Keeping the peace doesn’t come easy and Nick trying to keep his Grimm ancestry from his loved ones for their own protection is just as difficult. He receives a lot of his help from a reformed monster named Monroe, who is a Blutbad, a wolf-like creature that is provoked into violence by the color red.  

You may have noticed the oddity of the timeslots mentioned. A large portion of season one aired at 8pm CST Fridays. This put it in direct competition for two other extremely popular genre series’, FOX’s Fringe and CW’s Supernatural. Obviously, it didn’t hurt the show too much to have that kind of solid competition as it was picked up for the sophomore season. Since there is some wiggle room this summer to air repeats, this Monday night thing may just be a way for the show to grab a few more viewers they couldn’t snag on a Friday night. NBC plans on airing season one repeats prior to the season two premiere on Mondays, then returns to its normal timeslot on Fridays. Mark those calendars.

Sunday Night Football (Sundays of course, 7pm CST)

Yeah, I know. This isn’t what you were expecting. The fact of the matter is NFL programming is a huge deal in this country. Whether you like the game or not, it is here to stay. I felt I needed to at least put this on my list since it is a Fall TV standard. Other than that, I really don’t have much to contribute to this portion. You either watch football or you don’t. Nothing I say will make a difference. 

Up next, ABC ....