Wednesday, March 28, 2018

PILOT REVIEW: Alex, Inc.

ALEX, INC.













Starring: Zach Braff, Tiya Sircar, Hillary Anne Matthews, Elisha Hening, Audyssie James, and Michael Imperioli

Created by Matt Tarses
From the Podcast "Start Up" by Gimlet Media, Inc.
Written by Matt Tarses, Directed by Zach Braff

THE PREMISE
Alex, Inc. is the newest family sitcom to join the ABC lineup. This one is centered on Alex Schuman (Zach Braff), a radio host who quits his job abruptly and decides to start his own podcast company with cousin Eddie (Michael Imperioli) and assistant Deirdre (Hillary Anne Matthews). This sudden life change also requires some understanding from his wife, Rooni (Tiya Sircar) and kids Ben and Soraya (Elisha Hening and Audyssie James).

THE REVIEW
This pilot was sort of a tale of two shows and the direction they go in from here will go a long way to determining if it joins my long list of ABC sitcoms on my watch list. There were two distinct plots going on in the pilot. One was centered on the family and the other on the workplace and they really only integrated a little bit. Although Zach Braff is strong all the way through the pilot (and he directed it as well!), there was definitely a storyline I was much more invested in.

What I liked what was the family. There's a refreshing mixed race marriage at the center of it and a very easy chemistry between Zach Braff and Tiya Sircar. They had some funny interactions with each other and I like where their relationship is headed. And in contrast to Splitting Up Together yesterday, the kids seem very promising, especially the quirky Elisha Hening as the magic-obsessed Ben. The scene at the school with the magic act was predictable but surprisingly endearing. There's a general sweetness with the whole family but it was also funny and a little bit sarcastic.

Not nearly as interesting was the workplace story. Aside from a podcast company not being a very interesting setting, I didn't care for those scenes despite Braff continuing to be strong. Michael Imperioli did not make much of an impact here, I don't think he does comedy all that well. And Hillary Anne Matthews' character barely seemed real and was much closer to a caricature, not to mention annoying. I know the podcast is part of the main plot of this show but I think they would be wise to focus much more on the family. If they're going to do podcast storylines, they'll need some good guest roles to keep it afloat I think.

WILL I WATCH IT AGAIN?
Yes. I'm half hopeful about this show. Maybe half plus a little more thanks to Zach Braff.

PILOT REVIEW: Splitting Up Together

SPLITTING UP TOGETHER












Starring: Jenna Fischer, Oliver Hudson, Bobby Lee, Diane Farr, Lindsay Price, Olivia Keville, Van Crosby, Sander Thomas

Developed for American Television by Emily Kapnek
Teleplay by Emily Kapnek, Directed by Dean Holland

THE PREMISE
Lena and Martin (Jenna Fischer and Oliver Hudson) were once very much in love and happily married. Three kids (Olivia Keville, Van Crosby, & Sander Thomas) later and years of growing apart took its toll and they decided to get a divorce but they decided to do it as a team much to the chagrin of Arthur and Camille (Bobby Lee and Lindsay Price). They decide to tag team and still live in the same house with one parent taking responsibility and one living in the garage.

THE REVIEW
While there was a potential sweetness to this show, it was pretty short on laughs for a sitcom pilot. I didn't laugh once during the pilot. That is problematic because there have been drama pilots with more comedy beats than this one had. As a show, I think the premise is interesting and a different play on the family sitcom. It was interesting to have joint voiceovers to start the show and I think they would be smart to continue to explore the story equally from both Lena and Martin's side of things, which I'm sure they are going to do. I do feel like it was a little bit too soon to have so much plot dedicated to regrets from one of the two central characters. That could have come later in the run.

Among the performances, I liked Jenna Fischer more than Oliver Hudson. Fischer was charming on The Office and she is charming again here with a natural ease in her performance. Hudson was ok but not very memorable. Even less memorable was the rest of the cast. Although they had a storyline with one of the children (Van Crosby), the kids were not used much in the pilot and don't seem to be nearly as engaging as kids on other ABC sitcoms. I think that's a major issue with this show, they needed to make the kids major characters. That has worked so well with shows like The Middle, American Housewife, and others and I don't think they did a good job of giving the kids personality here.

As I already said, Splitting Up Together has the potential to be a sweet family comedy but I don't think the sweetness was strong enough in the pilot to make the lack of laughs acceptable. When Martin was watching their wedding video, I thought to myself that this could be a sweet moment but why is it happening in the middle of the first episode? Other than a brief montage, we barely got to see Lena and Martin on screen at the same time, divorced or together. If this show wants to be wistful or sweet, it needs to earn that. If it wants to be funny, it needs some better jokes ASAP.

WILL I WATCH IT AGAIN?
Yes, I'll give it at least one more episode.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

WEEKLY RECAP: March 19-25, 2018

Here is the weekly ratings recap looking back at the week in ratings for Week #26. Please note no repeats, sports, specials, or Saturday airings are counted

TOP 20 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. 60 Minutes (CBS, Sunday 7:36pm) - 4.0    12th week
2. The Voice (NBC, Monday 8:00pm) - 2.3    16th week
3. The Voice (NBC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 2.2    15th week
4. Grey's Anatomy (ABC, Thursday 8:00pm) - 1.9    15th week
5. Survivor (CBS, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 1.8    16th week
6. Modern Family (ABC, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 1.7    16th week
    9-1-1 (FOX, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 1.7    10th week
    American Idol (ABC, Sunday 8:00pm) - 1.7    3rd week
9. American Idol (ABC, Monday 8:00pm) - 1.6    2nd week
    The Good Doctor (ABC, Monday 10:00pm) - 1.6    17th week
    The Goldbergs (ABC, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 1.6    17th week
12. The Middle (ABC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 1.4    17th week
    Law & Order: SVU (NBC, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 1.4    12th week
14. American Housewife (ABC, Wednesday 9:30pm) - 1.3    13th week
      Chicago PD (NBC, Wednesday 10:00pm) - 1.3    12th week
     Instinct (CBS, Sunday 8:36pm) - 1.3    2nd week
17. Chicago Med (NBC, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 1.2    12th week
    Speechless (ABC, Wednesday 8:30pm) - 1.2    5th week
    Chicago Fire (NBC, Thursday 9:00pm) - 1.2    5th week
20. Black-ish (ABC, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 1.1    4th week
    Rise (NBC, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 1.1    2nd week
    Station 19 (ABC, Thursday 9:00pm) - 1.1    1st week (NEW SHOW)
    Superstore (NBC, Thursday 8:00pm) - 1.1    5th week
    NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS, Sunday 9:36pm) - 1.1    1st week

BOTTOM 20 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. Dynasty (CW, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.1    16th week
2. iZombie (CW, Monday 9:00pm) - 0.2    4th week
    Life Sentence (CW, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 0.2    3rd week
    Jane the Virgin (CW, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.2    14th week
5. DC's Legends of Tomorrow (CW, Monday 8:00pm) - 0.4    13th week
    Riverdale (CW, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 0.4    16th week
    Once Upon a Time (ABC, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.4    13th week
    Taken (NBC, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.4    8th week
9. Black Lightning (CW, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 0.5    8th week
    Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.5    12th week
    20/20 (ABC, Friday 10:00pm) - 0.5    22nd week
12. For the People (ABC, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 0.6
    Showtime at the Apollo (FOX, Thursday 9:00pm) - 0.6    4th week
    Blindspot (NBC, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.6    15th week
    Dateline NBC (NBC, Friday 10:00pm) - 0.6    12th week
    Madam Secretary (CBS, Sunday 10:36pm) - 0.6    15th week
    Timeless (NBC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 0.6    2nd week
18. Living Biblically (CBS, Monday 9:30pm) - 0.7    3rd week
    LA to Vegas (FOX, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 0.7    6th week
    The Mick (FOX, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 0.7    17th week
    Designated Survivor (ABC, Wednesday 10:00pm) - 0.7    10th week
    Gotham (FOX, Thursday 8:00pm) - 0.7    6th week
    Deception (ABC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 0.7    1st week
    Genius Junior (NBC, Sunday 9:00pm) - 0.7    1st week
    The Last Man on Earth (FOX, Sunday 9:30pm) - 0.7    8th week

TOP 20 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. 60 Minutes (CBS, Sunday 7:36pm) - 22.1 million    20th week
2. The Voice (NBC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 11.0 million    15th week
3. The Voice (NBC, Monday 8:00pm) - 10.8 million    16th week
4. Instinct (CBS, Sunday 8:36pm) - 10.2 million    2nd week
5. The Good Doctor (ABC, Monday 10:00pm) - 9.0 million    17th week
6. Survivor (CBS, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 8.6 million    16th week
    NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS, Sunday 9:36pm) - 8.6 million    15th week
8. American Idol (ABC, Monday 8:00pm) - 7.7 million    2nd week
9. Grey's Anatomy (ABC, Thursday 8:00pm) - 7.6 million    15th week
10. American Idol (ABC, Sunday 8:00pm) - 7.5 million    3rd week
11. Chicago Med (NBC, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 6.9 million    12th week
    Chicago PD (NBC, Wednesday 10:00pm) - 6.9 million    10th week
    Chicago Fire (NBC, Thursday 9:00pm) - 6.9 million    4th week
14. 9-1-1 (FOX, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 6.6 million    6th week
15. Law & Order: SVU (NBC, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 6.5 million    4th week
16. SEAL Team (CBS, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 6.4 million    11th week
17. Madam Secretary (CBS, Sunday 10:36pm) - 6.1 million    6th week
18. Little Big Shots (NBC, Sunday 8:00pm) - 6.0 million    2nd week
19. The Middle (ABC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 5.8 million    4th week
20. Kevin Can Wait (CBS, Monday 8:00pm) - 5.7 million    10th week
    The Goldbergs (ABC, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 5.7 million    3rd week

BOTTOM 20 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. Life Sentence (CW, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 0.5 million    3rd week
2. Dynasty (CW, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.6 million    16th week
    Jane the Virgin (CW, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.6  million    14th week
4. iZombie (CW, Monday 9:00pm) - 0.7 million    4th week
5. Riverdale (CW, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 1.2 million    16th week
6. DC's Legends of Tomorrow (CW, Monday 8:00pm) - 1.3 million    13th week
7. Black Lightning (CW, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 1.6 million    8th week
    The Last Man on Earth (FOX, Sunday 9:30pm) - 1.6 million    12th week
9. Bob's Burgers (FOX, Sunday 7:30pm) - 1.7 million    6th week
10. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX, Sunday 8:30pm) - 1.8 million    12th week
11. Family Guy (FOX, Sunday 9:00pm) - 1.9 million    11th week
12. The Mick (FOX, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 2.0 million    18th week
13. Once Upon a Time (ABC, Friday 8:00pm) - 2.1 million    13th week
    Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC, Friday 9:00pm) - 2.1 million    12th week
    The Simpsons (FOX, Sunday 8:00pm) - 2.1 million    3rd week
16. LA to Vegas (FOX, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 2.2 million    9th week
17. Showtime at the Apollo (FOX, Thursday 9:00pm) - 2.3 million    4th week
18. Gotham (FOX, Thursday 8:00pm) - 2.5 million    11th week
19. Timeless (NBC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 2.6 million    2nd week
20. For the People (ABC, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 2.7 million    1st week

WINNERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - The Resident (FOX)    1st week
Tuesday - The Middle (ABC)    2nd week
Wednesday - Modern Family (ABC)    1st week
Thursday - Superstore (NBC)    1st week
Friday - None
Sunday - 60 Minutes (CBS)    2nd week

LOSERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - iZombie (CW)    1st week
Tuesday - For the People (ABC)    1st week
Wednesday - Life Sentence (CW)    2nd week
Thursday - Station 19 (ABC)    1st week (NEW SHOW)
Friday - Masterchef Junior (FOX)    1st week
Sunday - Deception (ABC)    1st week

Sunday, March 25, 2018

THE WEEK AHEAD: March 26-April 1, 2018

Here is a look at Week #27!

ABC
It's a big premiere week for comedies on ABC with the heavily hyped return of Roseanne after over 20 years on Tuesday night. The show has gotten a ton of promotion and so a big premiere has to be expected or else that would be a big disappointment. ABC also has comedy premieres of Splitting Up Together on Tuesday and Alex, Inc. on Wednesday. Alex, Inc. has the better slot but Splitting might get some afterglow if Roseanne does in fact premiere big. Elsewhere, the season finale of freshman hit The Good Doctor is Monday night and we'll see how week two of Station 19 goes after an underwhelming premiere.

MONDAY
8:00 American Idol
10:00 The Good Doctor (Season Finale)

TUESDAY
8:00 Roseanne (SERIES PREMIERE)
9:00 Black-ish
9:30 Splitting Up Together (SERIES PREMIERE)
10:00 For the People

WEDNESDAY
8:00 The Goldbergs
8:30 Alex, Inc. (SERIES PREMIERE)
9:00 Modern Family
9:30 Splitting Up Together (Repeat)
10:00 Designated Survivor

THURSDAY
8:00 Grey's Anatomy
9:00 Station 19
10:00 Scandal

FRIDAY
8:00 Once Upon a Time
9:00 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
10:00 20/20

SATURDAY
8:00 Movie: The Ten Commandments

SUNDAY
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos (Repeat)
8:00 American Idol
10:00 Deception

CBS
After a couple weeks of basketball interruptions, the full CBS schedule is back this week with new episodes across the board in their normal timeslots.

MONDAY
8:00 Kevin Can Wait
8:30 Man with a Plan
9:00 Superior Donuts
9:30 Living Biblically
10:00 Scorpion

TUESDAY
8:00 NCIS
9:00 Bull
10:00 NCIS: New Orleans

WEDNESDAY
8:00 Survivor
9:00 SEAL Team
10:00 Criminal Minds

THURSDAY
8:00 The Big Bang Theory
8:30 Young Sheldon
9:00 Mom
9:30 Life in Pieces
10:00 S.W.A.T.

FRIDAY
8:00 MacGyver
9:00 Hawaii Five-0
10:00 Blue Bloods

SATURDAY
8:00 NCIS (Repeat)
9:00 NCIS: New Orleans (Repeat)
10:00 48 Hours

SUNDAY
7:00 60 Minutes
8:00 Instinct
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles
10:00 Madam Secretary

NBC
NBC has its regular lineup for most of the week except Wednesday is a special recap episode of The Voice and Sunday is the next live musical: Jesus Christ Superstar on Easter Sunday. It has a big name cast but I feel like there hasn't been a ton of buzz about this project and Easter is always a tricky time to program.

MONDAY
8:00 The Voice
10:00 Good Girls

TUESDAY
8:00 The Voice
9:00 Rise
10:00 Chicago Med

WEDNESDAY
8:00 The Voice Special
10:00 Andrew Lloyd Webber Tribute to a Superstar (Special)

THURSDAY
8:00 Superstore
8:30 A.P. Bio
9:00 Will & Grace
9:30 Champions
10:00 Chicago Fire

FRIDAY
8:00 Blindspot
9:00 Taken
10:00 Dateline NBC

SATURDAY
8:00 Genius Junior (Repeat)
9:00 Genius Junior (Repeat)
10:00 Saturday Night Live (Repeat)

SUNDAY
7:00 Little Big Shots (Repeat)
8:00 Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (Special)

FOX
FOX has a mostly new week with a Lethal Weapon repeat sprinkled in on Tuesday. Wednesday brings the return of Empire and Star, which have been off all winter. I have seen a lot of promotion for Empire but less for Star so we'll see what happens.

MONDAY
8:00 Lucifer
9:00 The Resident

TUESDAY
8:00 Lethal Weapon (Repeat)
9:00 LA to Vegas
9:30 The Mick

WEDNESDAY
8:00 Empire
9:00 Star

THURSDAY
8:00 Gotham
9:00 Showtime at the Apollo

FRIDAY
8:00 Masterchef Junior
9:00 9-1-1 (Repeat)

SATURDAY
8:00 Masterchef Junior (Repeat)
9:00 Showtime at the Apollo (Repeat)

SUNDAY
7:00 Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade (Special)
7:30 Bob's Burgers
8:00 The Simpsons
8:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine
9:00 Family Guy
9:30 The Last Man on Earth

CW
The CW has a mostly new week except for The Flash on Tuesday and the Friday 9pm slot, which is vacant until The Originals premieres on April 20 now that Jane the Virgin has ended.

MONDAY
8:00 DC's Legends of Tomorrow
9:00 iZombie

TUESDAY
8:00 The Flash (Repeat)
9:00 Black Lightning

WEDNESDAY
8:00 Riverdale
9:00 Life Sentence

THURSDAY
8:00 Supernatural
9:00 Arrow

FRIDAY
8:00 Dynasty
9:00 Penn & Teller: Fool Us (Repeat)

TV NEWS & THOUGHTS
- FOX is the second network to announce some summer premiere dates. Beat Shazam and Love Connection kick things off on May 29 followed by Masterchef the next night. On June 4, FOX will have the season premiere of the long running So You Think You Can Dance. A new unscripted show: Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell and Back premieres June 13 at 9pm.

Saturday, March 24, 2018

PILOT REVIEW: Station 19

STATION 19











Starring: Jaina Lee Ortiz, Jason George, Grey Damon, Barrett Doss, Alberto Frezza, Jay Hayden, Okieriete Onaodowan, Danielle Savre, and Miguel Sandoval

Based on Grey's Anatomy Created by Shonda Rhimes
Created by Stacy McKee
Written by Stacy McKee, Directed by Paris Barclay

THE PREMISE
Station 19 is a spinoff of ABC's long time hit Grey's Anatomy but instead of being set in a hospital, it's set at a fire station, Seattle's Station 19. Although not a Grey's viewer, it appears a lot of the Grey's elements are here: romances, workplace drama, intense life or death situations, etc. Andrea "Andy" Herrera (Jaina Lee Ortiz) is a firefighter at Station 19 and working for her dad, Captain Pruitt Herrera (Miguel Sandoval). When he is confronted with cancer, he attempts to turn over the station to Lieutenant Jack Gibson (Grey Damon) before also considering his daughter. Rounding out the main cast are other firefighters at the station and police officer/friend of Andy's, Ryan Tanner (Alberto Frezza).

THE REVIEW
Probably about a minute into the pilot, I realized that one fire show is enough for me. I have been a loyal viewer of Chicago Fire since it premiered and I still maintain that it is underrated in quality and doesn't get the respect it deserves. No, it's not Mad Men, but it's consistently entertaining and the characters are very endearing. So while I seem to have enough room in my life for multiple legal shows or medical shows or cop shows, there doesn't seem to be room for more than one firefighter show and I was completely uninterested in the pilot.

It's not that it was a terribly acted or terribly plotted pilot, it was fine, it just wasn't for me. I had to roll my eyes when characters were secretly making out eight minutes into the first episode. I don't watch Grey's Anatomy but I know enough about it to not have been surprised by that revelation. I just don't think there's anything this show can offer that Chicago Fire can't and I'm already attached to the Chicago characters. For whatever reason, there seems to be less places they can go with this setting whereas a legal drama or medical drama seems much more likely to find a new angle. I remember being concerned back when Fire premiered that they wouldn't be able to find new ways to do fires every week. But they've done a good job with that over the years. I just felt with this show that there wasn't anything I hadn't seen before.

The performances were solid. I like Jaina Lee Ortiz in the lead role even if she seemed a little melodramatic at times. Miguel Sandoval was a standout as Ortiz's ailing father. I didn't find Grey Damon all that appealing and the story of him competing with Ortiz for the new captain position seems pretty gimmicky and an obvious set-up to future plot points. The rest of the characters were pretty forgettable. Fairly early on in the pilot, I decided that this wasn't going to become part of my regular rotation and I didn't bother to pay all that close attention to the many supporting characters and there was nothing they did that made it better. I don't know if this will appeal to Grey's Anatomy fans (early indications are mixed at best), but it's not for me.

WILL I WATCH IT AGAIN?
No.

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

WEEKLY RECAP: March 12-18, 2018

Here is the weekly ratings recap looking back at the week in ratings for Week #25. Please note no repeats, sports, specials, or Saturday airings are counted

TOP 20 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. This is Us (NBC, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 2.8    17th week
2. The Voice (NBC, Monday 8:00pm) - 2.4    15th week
3. The Voice (NBC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 2.3    14th week
4. American Idol (ABC, Monday 8:00pm) - 1.8    1st week
    The Good Doctor (ABC, Monday 10:00pm) - 1.8    16th week
    Grey's Anatomy (ABC, Thursday 8:00pm) - 1.8    14th week
    American Idol (ABC, Sunday 8:00pm) - 1.8    2nd week
8. Survivor (CBS, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 1.7    15th week
9. 9-1-1 (FOX, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 1.6    9th week
10. NCIS (CBS, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 1.5    17th week
11. 60 Minutes (CBS, Sunday 7:37pm) - 1.4    11th week
12. Law & Order: SVU (NBC, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 1.3    11th week
13. Bull (CBS, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 1.2    9th week
    Rise (NBC, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 1.2    1st week (NEW SHOW)
    Chicago PD (NBC, Wednesday 10:00pm) - 1.2    11th week
    Will & Grace (NBC, Thursday 9:00pm) - 1.2    10th week
17. The Middle (ABC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 1.1    16th week
      Scandal (ABC, Thursday 9:00pm) - 1.1    6th week
      Little Big Shots (NBC, Sunday 8:00pm) - 1.1    1st week (New Season)
20. Man with a Plan (CBS, Monday 8:30pm) - 1.0    5th week
    Good Girls (NBC, Monday 10:00pm) - 1.0    3rd week
    NCIS: New Orleans (CBS, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 1.0    1st week
    American Housewife (ABC, Wednesday 9:30pm) - 1.0    12th week
    How to Get Away with Murder (ABC, Thursday 10:00pm) - 1.0    1st week
    Superstore (NBC, Thursday 8:00pm) - 1.0    4th week
    Instinct (CBS, Sunday 8:37pm) - 1.0    1st week (NEW SHOW)
    Genius Junior (NBC, Sunday 9:00pm) - 1.0    1st week (NEW SHOW)
    Family Guy (FOX, Sunday 9:00pm) - 1.0    8th week

BOTTOM 20 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. Dynasty (CW, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.1    15th week
2. Life Sentence (CW, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 0.2    2nd week
    Jane the Virgin (CW, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.2    13th week
4. iZombie (CW, Monday 9:00pm) - 0.3    3rd week
5. DC's Legends of Tomorrow (CW, Monday 8:00pm) - 0.4    12th week
    Riverdale (CW, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 0.4    15th week
7. Black Lightning (CW, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 0.5    7th week
    Once Upon a Time (ABC, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.5    12th week
    Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.5    11th week
    Taken (NBC, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.5    7th week
11. The Mick (FOX, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 0.6    16th week
    Gotham (FOX, Thursday 8:00pm) - 0.6    5th week
    Showtime at the Apollo (FOX, Thursday 9:00pm) - 0.6    3rd week
    20/20 (ABC, Friday 10:00pm) - 0.6    21st week
    Blindspot (NBC, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.6    14th week
    Dateline NBC (NBC, Friday 10:00pm) - 0.6    11th week
    Madam Secretary (CBS, Sunday 10:37pm) - 0.6    14th week
18. Living Biblically (CBS, Monday 9:30pm) - 0.7    2nd week
      Lucifer (FOX, Monday 8:00pm) - 0.7    7th week
      LA to Vegas (FOX, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 0.7    5th week
      The Flash (CW, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 0.7    8th week
      Designated Survivor (ABC, Wednesday 10:00pm) - 0.7    9th week
     The X-Files (FOX, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 0.7    2nd week
     Champions (NBC, Thursday 9:30pm) - 0.7    2nd week
     Timeless (NBC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 0.7    1st week
     The Last Man on Earth (FOX, Sunday 9:30pm) - 0.7    7th week

TOP 20 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. NCIS (CBS, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 13.3 million    17th week
2. The Voice (NBC, Monday 8:00pm) - 11.9 million    15th week
3. The Voice (NBC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 11.2 million    14th week
4. This is Us (NBC, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 10.9 million    17th week
5. Bull (CBS, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 10.6 million    17th week
6. 60 Minutes (CBS, Sunday 7:37pm) - 10.1 million    19th week
7. The Good Doctor (ABC, Monday 10:00pm) - 9.9 million    16th week
8. NCIS: New Orleans (CBS, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 9.2 million    17th week
9. Instinct (CBS, Sunday 8:37pm) - 9.0 million    1st week (NEW SHOW)
10. American Idol (ABC, Monday 8:00pm) - 8.4 million    1st week
    Survivor (CBS, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 8.4 million    15th week
12. NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS, Sunday 9:37pm) - 8.0 million    14th week
13. American Idol (ABC, Sunday 8:00pm) - 7.8 million    2nd week
14. Little Big Shots (NBC, Sunday 8:00pm) - 7.5 million    1st week (New Season)
15. Grey's Anatomy (ABC, Thursday 8:00pm) - 7.2 million    14th week
16. Chicago PD (NBC, Wednesday 10:00pm) - 6.5 million    9th week
      9-1-1 (FOX, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 6.5 million    5th week
18. Man with a Plan (CBS, Monday 8:30pm) - 6.3 million    7th week
19. Law & Order: SVU (NBC, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 6.1 million    3rd week
20. Little Big Shots (NBC, Sunday 7:00pm) - 6.0 million    Special Airing

BOTTOM 20 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. Life Sentence (CW, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 0.6 million    2nd week
    Dynasty (CW, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.6 million    15th week
    Jane the Virgin (CW, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.6 million    13th week
4. iZombie (CW, Monday 9:00pm) - 0.8 million    3rd week
5. Riverdale (CW, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 1.2 million    15th week
6. DC's Legends of Tomorrow (CW, Monday 8:00pm) - 1.3 million    12th week
7. Black Lightning (CW, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 1.5 million    7th week
8. The Last Man on Earth (FOX, Sunday 9:30pm) - 1.6 million    11th week
9. Bob's Burgers (FOX, Sunday 7:30pm) - 1.7 million    5th week
10. The Mick (FOX, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 1.8 million    17th week
11. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX, Sunday 8:30pm) - 1.9 million    11th week
12. LA to Vegas (FOX, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 2.0 million    8th week
13. The Flash (CW, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 2.1 million    16th week
    Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC, Friday 9:00pm) - 2.1 million    11th week
    The Simpsons (FOX, Sunday 8:00pm) - 2.1 million    2nd week
16. Family Guy (FOX, Sunday 9:00pm) - 2.2 million    10th week
17. Once Upon a Time (ABC, Friday 8:00pm) - 2.4 million    12th week
18. Showtime at the Apollo (FOX, Thursday 9:00pm) - 2.5 million    3rd week
19. Gotham (FOX, Thursday 8:00pm) - 2.6 million    10th week
20. Timeless (NBC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 2.8 million    1st week

WINNERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - The Good Doctor (ABC)    4th week
Tuesday - This is Us (NBC)    7th week
Wednesday - Law & Order: SVU (NBC)    3rd week
Thursday - A.P. Bio (NBC)    1st week
Friday - None
Sunday - Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX)    1st week

LOSERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - Good Girls (NBC)    1st week
Tuesday - Black-ish (ABC)    2nd week
Wednesday - The X-Files (FOX)    2nd week
Thursday - Gotham (FOX)    3rd week
Friday - Dynasty (CW)     3rd week
Sunday - The Last Man on Earth (FOX)    1st week

Monday, March 19, 2018

PILOT REVIEW: Instinct

INSTINCT












Starring: Alan Cumming, Bojana Novakovic, Daniel Ings, Sharon Leal, and Naveen Andrews

Based on the Book "Murder Games" by James Patterson and Howard Roughan
Created for Television by Michael Rauch
Teleplay by Michael Rauch, Directed by Marc Webb

THE PREMISE
Instinct is sort of a hybrid between Elementary and Criminal Minds. It has the light hearted murder mystery feel with a male/female combo solving crimes, but it focuses a lot on criminal behavior and, by extension, serial killers. Former CIA officer Dr. Dylan Reinhart (Alan Cumming) gets back in the crime solving business when an NYC detective, Elizabeth Needham (Bojana Novakovic). Rounding out the main cast is Dylan's husband, Andy (Daniel Ings) and Elizabeth's boss, Lt. Jasmine Gooden (Sharon Leal).

THE REVIEW
This is a procedural through and through and a perfect fit for CBS. I can handle procedurals and I often like them but even I had to laugh a couple times at the implausibility plot jumps that happened in the pilot and if that is going to be the way the show goes, even solid performances from Alan Cumming and Bojana Novakovic won't be enough to save it. While the storyline of a serial killer using a deck of cards as hints for his next murder was a little contrived, I was willing to let that go until Reinhart and Needham started figuring out the next clues in records amount of time and then took it upon themselves to take care of each step. I'm forgiving for plot holes but this was a step too far because I just couldn't take it seriously. For example, they assume there's no card until a body is removed and they see a card underneath? They didn't think to look underneath her before?

If the show can somehow overcome some major plotting issues in the pilot, then I think it could be good because there's winning performances and chemistry between Alan Cumming and Bojana Novakovic. Cumming is a pro and while a standard CBS procedural seems a bit beneath him, he plays the arrogant professor role quite well. Novakovic was also believable as the detective with a (surprise) sob background story. The rest of the cast didn't have much to do in the pilot and I didn't know enough about it going in so I was surprised to see Whoopi Goldberg, albeit in a forgettable recurring role.

While this show could have been an interesting look into psychological development and its impact on murderers, it got covered over too much by the CBS procedural paint. For being a show about a psychopathic behavior and a convincing lead who could sell that plot, it was too bent on solving a crime in the first hour and coming up with witty banter between the two leads. While none of that was unenjoyable, it just isn't a show I care about seeing on a weekly basis but I think the actors and plot would have been intriguing enough. It just doesn't pan out.

WILL I WATCH IT AGAIN?
Maybe but I doubt I'll be a regular viewer.

Sunday, March 18, 2018

THE WEEK AHEAD: March 19-25, 2018

Here's a look at Week #26!

ABC
ABC has season finales this week of Fresh Off the Boat and Speechless to make room for comedy premieres next week. Thursday night brings us a two hour premiere of the new Grey's Anatomy firefighter spinoff, Station 19. Grey's continues to be a beast but it will be interesting to see if that translates to the very Grey's spinoff since Private Practice over a decade ago.

MONDAY
8:00 American Idol
10:00 The Good Doctor

TUESDAY
8:00 The Middle
8:30 Fresh Off the Boat (Season Finale)
9:00 Black-ish
9:30 Modern Family (Repeat)
10:00 For the People

WEDNESDAY
8:00 The Goldbergs
8:30 Speechless (Season Finale)
9:00 Modern Family
9:30 American Housewife
10:00 Designated Survivor

THURSDAY
8:00 Grey's Anatomy
9:00 Station 19 (SERIES PREMIERE)

FRIDAY
8:00 Once Upon a Time
9:00 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
10:00 20/20

SATURDAY
8:00 Movie: Over the Hedge
10:00 20/20

SUNDAY
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
8:00 American Idol
10:00 Deception

CBS
CBS has a quiet week with repeats on Tuesday and NCAA on the weekend.

MONDAY
8:00 Kevin Can Wait
8:30 Man with a Plan
9:00 Superior Donuts
9:30 Living Biblically
10:00 Scorpion

TUESDAY
8:00 NCIS (Repeat)
9:00 NCIS (Repeat)
10:00 Bull (Repeat)

WEDNESDAY
8:00 Survivor
9:00 SEAL Team
10:00 Criminal Minds

THURSDAY
8:00 NCAA Basketball Tournament

FRIDAY
8:00 NCAA Basketball Tournament

SATURDAY
8:00 Bull (Repeat)
9:00 48 Hours
10:00 48 Hours

SUNDAY
7:00 60 Minutes
8:00 Instinct
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles
10:00 Madam Secretary

NBC
NBC has a pretty normal week. On Thursday night, they are airing two hours of Chicago Fire to compete with the series premiere of fire series rival Station 19 on ABC. It will be interesting to see what happens.

MONDAY
8:00 The Voice
10:00 Good Girls

TUESDAY
8:00 The Voice
9:00 Rise
10:00 Chicago Med

WEDNESDAY
8:00 Law & Order: SVU (Repeat)
9:00 Law & Order: SVU
10:00 Chicago PD

THURSDAY
8:00 Superstore
8:30 A.P. Bio
9:00 Chicago Fire
10:00 Chicago Fire

FRIDAY
8:00 Blindspot
9:00 Taken
10:00 Dateline NBC

SATURDAY
8:00 Dateline NBC
10:00 Saturday Night Live (Repeat)

SUNDAY
7:00 Little Big Shots (Repeat)
8:00 Little Big Shots
9:00 Genius Junior
10:00 Timeless

FOX
FOX has a normal week with the season finales of The X-Files and 9-1-1 on Wednesday night. The new season of X-Files has been very disappointing but 9-1-1 has been a surprise for FOX and should end well.

MONDAY
8:00 Lucifer
9:00 The Resident

TUESDAY
8:00 Lethal Weapon
9:00 LA to Vegas
9:30 The Mick

WEDNESDAY
8:00 The X-Files (Season Finale)
9:00 9-1-1 (Season Finale)

THURSDAY
8:00 Gotham
9:00 Showtime at the Apollo

FRIDAY
8:00 Masterchef Junior
9:00 9-1-1 (Repeat)

SATURDAY
8:00 OJ Simpson: The Lost Confession? (Special - Repeat)

SUNDAY
7:00 Bob's Burgers (Repeat)
7:30 Bob's Burgers
8:00 The Simpsons
8:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine
9:00 Family Guy
9:30 The Last Man on Earth

CW
The CW has a mix of new episodes and repeats. Will Dynasty pull another 0.1 demo and will the CW let it stay on the schedule?

MONDAY
8:00 DC's Legends of Tomorrow
9:00 iZombie

TUESDAY
8:00 The Flash (Repeat)
9:00 Black Lightning

WEDNESDAY
8:00 Riverdale
9:00 Life Sentence

THURSDAY
8:00 Supernatural (Repeat)
9:00 Arrow (Repeat)

FRIDAY
8:00 Dynasty
9:00 Jane the Virgin

TV NEWS & THOUGHTS
- CBS has moved up Code Black's third season premiere by a week. It will now premiere on April 25 at 10pm. Criminal Minds will ends its season a week earlier, on April 18, with a two hour season finale.

- ABC has renewed Dancing with the Stars, The Bachelor, America's Funniest Home Videos, and Child Support for next season. The first three are no surprise while Child Support arguably overperformed on Fridays this winter.

- With its first season not done and a second season already ordered, NBC has gone ahead and ordered a THIRD season of the Will & Grace revival. It will air in 2019-20. This seems awfully early for a show that has slipped a lot this winter.

PILOT REVIEW: For the People

FOR THE PEOPLE











Starring: Hope Davis, Ben Shenkman, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Susannah Flood, Wesam Keesh, Rege-Jean Page, Ben Rappaport, Britt Robertson, with Anna Deavere Smith, and Vondie Curtis Hall

Created by Paul William Davies
Written by Paul William Davies, Directed by Tom Verica

THE PREMISE
For the People is a new Shondaland drama centered on a group of new lawyers working for one of the most famous courts, the Southern District of New York federal court. Young lawyers Allison, Seth, Kate, Jay, Leonard, and Sandra (Jasmin Savoy-Brown, Ben Rappaport, Susannah Flood, Wesam Keesh, Rege-Jean Page, & Britt Robertson) work for both the defense under Jill Marcus (Hope Davis) or prosecution under Roger Gunn (Ben Shenkman). Rounding out the main cast are Chief Judge Nicholas Byrne (Vondie Curtis Hall) and clerk Tina Krissman (Anna Deavere Smith).

THE REVIEW
For the People doesn't really feel like a Shondaland drama as much as it does a Dick Wolf procedural. But that's not a bad thing. While the pilot was not very memorable, it also wasn't self-indulgent or trying to bite off too much. It's one of those shows that just kind of is what it is. It had some stylized looks at the city and was certainly trying to go for a "young hot lawyers" vibe but it also seemed bent on not making it the lawyer version of Grey's Anatomy with steamy scenes coupled with workplace drama. Instead, it really just focused on pretty standard and generic cases. I don't know how I feel about that. I think I would have been critical and rolled my eyes if it was a typical Shondaland drama, but it just ended up being kind of boring.

The performances were fine but, again, unmemorable. Early on, they seemed to play up Anna Deavere Smith and Vondie Curtis Hall but the two of them disappeared for long blocks of time after making an impression early on. I know this show strives to be an ensemble drama, but at least in the pilot it seemed to be a few too many characters. There seemed to be a lot of character development for Britt Robertson but not nearly as much for the rest of the characters. Maybe that was a conscious choice because Robertson was perhaps the most likeable. I wasn't totally sold on Hope Davis or Ben Shenkman as the bosses for the defense and prosecution, respectively. I found them both a little bit annoying.

The biggest problem with this show isn't that it's bad acting or bad writing. It's that it's forgettable. I have been doing this blog for nearly eight years now and when I look back at some old pilot reviews, there are shows I have next to no memory of, even ones I know I watched more than one episode of. I have a feeling this will be one of those shows. I just finished watching it and I can't even remember a lot of details of the cases in this episode. It's not terrible, it's just not memorable in any way. Though I did like the final picture of New York City and I think that should be the title screen.

WILL I WATCH IT AGAIN?
Maybe. I don't see it becoming one of my regular shows though.

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

PILOT REVIEW: Rise

RISE












Starring: Josh Radnor, Marley Shelton, Auli'i Cravalho, Damon J. Gillespie, Shirley Rumierk, Joe Tippett, Ted Sutherland, Amy Forsyth, Rarmian Newton, Casey Johnson, Taylor Richardson, and Rosie Perez

Created by Jason Katims
Inspired by the Book "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
Written by Jason Katims, Directed by Mike Cahill

THE PREMISE
Rise is a new drama from Jason Katims of Friday Night Lights and Parenthood fame. This time, the feel good drama is set at a high school where football is king in a town that is well past its prime. English teacher Lou Mazzuchelli (Josh Radnor) takes over the theater program from Tracey Wolfe (Rosie Perez) with plans to produce the controversial musical "Spring Awakening." Along the way, he deals with a one track mind football coach (Joe Tippett) who protests to his star player, Robbie Thorne (Damon J. Gillespie) being a part of the show and a reluctant wife at home, Gail (Marley Shelton) with worries that son Gordy (Casey Johnson) is an alcoholic. Rounding out the main cast are the other members of the cast or "troupe" as Lou calls them.

THE REVIEW
This is a show that was right up my alley in every way. First of all, it comes from the creator who gave me two of my all time favorite dramas. Secondly, it's about a high school musical theatre program - something very near and dear to my heart - and something that hit very close to home in scenes with difficult administration conversations or a back and forth with an angry coach. And this show has a ton to offer with strong performances (Josh Radnor is far more likable here than he often was in How I Met Your Mother) and a compelling range of storylines. It's also a topic that hasn't been tackled before on a drama, at least one that I'm aware of.

My concern with the pilot was I felt like it tried to jam way too much plot into a single episode. Friday Night Lights' iconic pilot was lauded because it felt like they dropped us right into this Texas town that was already humming along. It was so short on exposition and so rich in character and setting development. Rise seemed headed that way initially down to the drive past of the dilapidated town. But as the episode progressed, I felt like it tried to do way too much at times. For example, did the administration push-back on the show and the football dilemma and the temporary firing of Lou all have to happen within one episode? Not to mention the many subplots with Lou and his family and the students. I think Rise needed to trust itself a little bit more and let it set the mood and feel of the show (accomplished to great effect in the scenes within the auditorium) more naturally.

I worry sometimes that I'm overly critical about shows where I know a lot more about the topic (school sitcoms, this theater drama, etc) whereas I'm more forgiving when it comes to topics I'm less familiar about (no, I don't think Law & Order: SVU is really how the justice system works but I just don't really care because it entertains). I would be curious to see the reaction to a show like this from non-theatre people. What I worry about is it will feel too "insider" to others but insiders will be too critical. The show can avoid that by rich character development and not dwelling on cliche storylines that don't work. When they threw as much out as they did in the pilot, some are bound to not work. I trust Katims to steer this show in the right direction and make it all it is capable of being because the potential is high.

WILL I WATCH IT AGAIN?
Definitely with hopes it can become the show I think it can.

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

WEEKLY RECAP: March 5-11, 2018

Here is the weekly ratings recap looking back at the week in ratings for Week #24. Please note no repeats, sports, specials, or Saturday airings are counted

TOP 20 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. The Big Bang Theory (CBS, Thursday 8:00pm) - 2.6    17th week
2. The Voice (NBC, Monday 8:00pm) - 2.5    14th week
3. This is Us (NBC, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 2.3    16th week
    American Idol (ABC, Sunday 8:00pm) - 2.3    1st week (NEW SERIES)
5. The Bachelor (ABC, Monday 8:00pm) - 2.2    8th week
6. The Voice (NBC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 2.1    13th week
    Young Sheldon (CBS, Thursday 8:30pm) - 2.1    14th week
8. Survivor (CBS, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 1.7    14th week
    Grey's Anatomy (ABC, Thursday 8:00pm) - 1.7    13th week
10. 9-1-1 (FOX, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 1.6    8th week
11. The Goldbergs (ABC, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 1.5    16th week
      Mom (CBS, Thursday 9:00pm) - 1.5    13th week
13. NCIS (CBS, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 1.4    16th week
    Chicago Med (NBC, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 1.4    11th week
    Modern Family (ABC, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 1.4    15th week
16. Good Girls (NBC, Monday 10:00pm) - 1.3    2nd week
17. Speechless (ABC, Wednesday 8:30pm) - 1.2    4th week
      Law & Order: SVU (NBC, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 1.2    10th week
      Chicago PD (NBC, Wednesday 10:00pm) - 1.2    10th week
      Life in Pieces (CBS, Thursday 9:30pm) - 1.2    18th week
      Chicago Fire (NBC, Thursday 10:00pm) - 1.2    4th week
      Deception (ABC, Sunday 10:00pm) - 1.2    1st week (NEW SERIES)

BOTTOM 20 SHOWS (18-49 DEMO)
1. iZombie (CW, Monday 9:00pm) - 0.2    2nd week
    Life Sentence (CW, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 0.2    1st week (NEW SHOW)
    Dynasty (CW, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.2    14th week
    Jane the Virgin (CW, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.2    12th week
5. DC's Legends of Tomorrow (CW, Monday 8:00pm) - 0.4    11th week
    Arrow (CW, Thursday 9:00pm) - 0.4    14th week
    Taken (NBC, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.4    6th week
8. Black Lightning (CW, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 0.5    6th week
    Riverdale (CW, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 0.5    14th week
    Supernatural (CW, Thursday 8:00pm) - 0.5    15th week
    Once Upon a Time (ABC, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.5    11th week
    Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.5    10th week
13. The Mick (FOX, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 0.6    15th week
    Designated Survivor (ABC, Wednesday 10:00pm) - 0.6    8th week
    Showtime at the Apollo (FOX, Thursday 9:00pm) - 0.6    2nd week
    20/20 (ABC, Friday 10:00pm) - 0.6    20th week
    Blindspot (NBC, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.6    13th week
    Madam Secretary (CBS, Sunday 10:00pm) - 0.6    13th week
19. Living Biblically (CBS, Monday 9:30pm) - 0.7    1st week
    Lucifer (FOX, Monday 8:00pm) - 0.7    6th week
    Kevin (Probably) Saves the World (ABC, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 0.7    15th week
    LA to Vegas (FOX, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 0.7    4th week
    The Flash (CW, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 0.7    7th week
    A.P. Bio (NBC, Thursday 8:30pm) - 0.7    3rd week
    Champions (NBC, Thursday 9:30pm) - 0.7    1st week (NEW SHOW)
    Gotham (FOX, Thursday 8:00pm) - 0.7    4th week

TOP 20 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. The Big Bang Theory (CBS, Thursday 8:00pm) - 13.9 million    17th week
2. NCIS (CBS, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 12.9 million    16th week
3. Young Sheldon (CBS, Thursday 8:30pm) - 12.5 million    14th week
4. The Voice (NBC, Monday 8:00pm) - 11.6 million    14th week
5. American Idol (ABC, Sunday 8:00pm) - 10.5 million    1st week (NEW SHOW)
6. Bull (CBS, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 10.1 million    16th week
    The Voice (NBC, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 10.1 million    13th week
8. 60 Minutes (CBS, Sunday 7:00pm) - 9.4 million    18th week
9. Mom (CBS, Thursday 9:00pm) - 9.1 million    13th week
10. This is Us (NBC, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 8.9 million    16th week
     Blue Bloods (CBS, Friday 10:00pm) - 8.9 million    15th week
12. NCIS: New Orleans (CBS, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 8.4 million    16th week
      60 Minutes (CBS, Sunday 8:00pm) - 8.4 million    Special Airing
14. Survivor (CBS, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 8.2 million    14th week
15. NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS, Sunday 9:00pm) - 8.0 million    13th week
16. The Bachelor (ABC, Monday 8:00pm) - 7.9 million    5th week
17. Hawaii Five-0 (CBS, Friday 9:00pm) - 7.7 million    16th week
18. Grey's Anatomy (ABC, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 7.1 million    13th week
19. Chicago Med (NBC, Tuesday 10:00pm) - 7.0 million    11th week
20. Life in Pieces (CBS, Thursday 9:30pm) - 6.7 million    10th week

BOTTOM 20 SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS)
1. Dynasty (CW, Friday 8:00pm) - 0.6 million    14th week
    Jane the Virgin (CW, Friday 9:00pm) - 0.6 million    12th week
3. Life Sentence (CW, Wednesday 9:00pm) - 0.7 million    1st week (NEW SHOW)
4. iZombie (CW, Monday 9:00pm) - 0.8 million    2nd week
5. DC's Legends of Tomorrow (CW, Monday 8:00pm) - 1.2 million    11th week
6. Riverdale (CW, Wednesday 8:00pm) - 1.3 million    14th week
    Arrow (CW, Thursday 9:00pm) - 1.3 million    14th week
8. Black Lightning (CW, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 1.5 million    6th week
9. The Mick (FOX, Tuesday 9:30pm) - 1.7 million    16th week
    Supernatural (CW, Thursday 8:00pm) - 1.7 million    15th week
11. Bob's Burgers (FOX, Sunday 7:30pm) - 1.8 million    4th week
12. The Flash (CW, Tuesday 8:00pm) - 2.0 million    15th week
    Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC, Friday 9:00pm) - 2.0 million    10th week
14. LA to Vegas (FOX, Tuesday 9:00pm) - 2.1 million    7th week
15. Once Upon a Time (ABC, Friday 8:00pm) - 2.2 million    11th week
      Taken (NBC, Friday 9:00pm) - 2.2 million    6th week
17. A.P. Bio (NBC, Thursday 8:30pm) - 2.3 million    3rd week
18. Gotham (FOX, Thursday 8:00pm) - 2.4 million    9th week
      Showtime at the Apollo (FOX, Thursday 9:00pm) - 2.4 million    2nd week
20. Kevin (Probably) Saves the World (ABC, Friday 10:00pm) - 2.5 million    11th week

WINNERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - The Bachelor (ABC)    2nd week
Tuesday - Chicago Med (NBC)    2nd week
Wednesday - 9-1-1 (FOX)    5th week
Thursday - Mom (CBS)    3rd week
Friday - None
Sunday - American Idol (ABC)    1st week (NEW SERIES)

LOSERS OF THE NIGHT
Monday - Lucifer (FOX)    2nd week
Tuesday - The Mick (FOX)    4th week
Wednesday - Life Sentence (CW)    1st week (NEW SERIES)
Thursday - Champions (NBC)    1st week (NEW SERIES)
Friday - Taken (NBC)    3rd week
Sunday - Madam Secretary (CBS)    3rd week

Monday, March 12, 2018

PILOT REVIEW: Deception

DECEPTION











Starring: Jack Cutmore-Scott, Ilfenesh Hadera, Lenora Crichlow, Justin Chon, Laila Robins, with Amaury Nolasco, and Vinnie Jones

Created by Chris Fedak
Written by Chris Fedak, Directed by David Nutter

THE PREMISE
Deception is an interesting new take on a crime procedural because it involves a magician. Illusionist Cameron Black (Jack Cutmore-Scott) is at the top of his game when his secret brother Johnny (also Cutmore-Scott) is sent to jail for murder. Black is convinced an illusionist set his brother up and he teams up with Special Agent Kay Daniels (Ilfenesh Hadera) to find out the truth and also help them solve crimes. Rounding out the main cast is a mix of Black's team and other FBI agents.

THE REVIEW
I'm almost as much a sucker for magic and illusion as I am with time travel (Now You See Me is one of my favorite movies). So I've been excited about this since it was in development last year. I'm happy to report that while the pilot wasn't perfect, I am not disappointed. While I don't mind a good procedural, I'll be the first to admit that they don't usually bring anything new to the table even if they advertise that they do. Deception actually does bring something new here because of the magic element and I hope the show never shortchanges that side of it because not only is it what makes the show a little different, it's also what appeals to me.

Jack Cutmore-Scott is solid in the lead role. The introduction with the magic trick being performed was enjoyable to watch and seemed pretty big budget for a TV show. Cutmore-Scott also has a good chemistry with Ilfenesh Hadera even if its reminiscent of shows like Castle and Elementary with the male-female crime solving team. I was quite intrigued by the initial story of the missing airplane and the possible connection with Cameron's brother. I thought the show got a little bogged down in the second half when it started to feel more like a standard crime procedural.

Going forward, I'm curious how much they will tackle the overall story and how much will be a case of the week type show. I'm completely okay with this being a case of the week show with only small overtones of the overall story. Shows like that like Scandal and Person of Interest in their early days can be quite effective. It can't become a show that gets completely lost in its own mythology. A healthy dose of case of the week with a little bit of ongoing story seems like the perfect mix for a show like this. It also just needs to always keep the illusion side of the crime solving very apparent or else it will lose its... magic.

WILL I WATCH IT AGAIN?
Yes. I was happy with the first episode and look forward to more.

Sunday, March 11, 2018

PILOT REVIEW: Champions

CHAMPIONS











Starring: Anders Holm, Fortune Feimster, Andy Favreau, JJ Totah, Mouzam Makkar

Created by Charlie Grandy and Mindy Kaling
Written by Charlie Grandy & Mindy Kaling, Directed by Michael Spiller

THE PREMISE
Champions is a new sitcom from Mindy Kaling and Charlie Grandy centered on two brothers, Vince and Matthew (Anders Holm and Andy Favreau) who run a gym in Brooklyn. Their world is upended when Matthew's former girlfriend Priya (Kaling in a recurring role) walks back into Matthew's life with their now teenage and very pretentious son, Michael (JJ Totah). With Michael looking for a place to live so he can attend an elite private school, the theatre loving kid moves in with his jock father and uncle.

THE REVIEW
This was a cliche ridden and pretty unfunny pilot. I just get so tired of sitcoms that have characters who don't seem like real people. A good sitcom can make even an extreme character seem like a real person (think Ted Baxter, Michael Scott, Louie DiPalma, etc). A bad sitcom means none of the characters seem real and that's the case here. I've never been a big fan of Mindy Kaling's brand of humor, even on The Office, and I can see her fingerprints all over this one which jokes that seem a little too forced and a little too "insider" - particularly JJ Totah's pretentious jokes.

Among the cast, I didn't find JJ Totah nearly as appealing as some other reviewers did. I liked him in Back in the Game a few years ago but this came across as complete overacting. Anyone can applaud the fact that there's a young LGBTQ character in a prominent role on a sitcom like this, but that doesn't mean the acting is good. Anders Holm is also pretty unlikable in the main role despite the show very obviously trying to give him some redeeming qualities. And in a supporting role, Fortune Feimster is playing the exact same character she plays in Life in Pieces and other shows.

Ultimately, I just don't care that much about these characters or what happens to them. I feel like a broken record when I see bad sitcom pilots but it's worth repeating. Sitcoms can take some time to gel. They are rarely as strong as drama pilots because sitcoms are rarely plot driven. But even when a sitcom doesn't have it all together yet, you can always tell when the potential is there. I just don't see it here. Sorry, Champions.

WILL I WATCH IT AGAIN?
Probably not.

THE WEEK AHEAD: March 12-18, 2018

Here is a look at Week #25!

ABC
ABC has a lot going on this week including night two of American Idol on Monday (it premieres tonight). It will surely be down from its Sunday premiere but the million dollar question is how it does in its premiere? That will give us a better guess for Monday. On Tuesday, there is a double pumping of Black-ish to lead into the new Shondaland drama For the People, which is being thrown to the wolves in a death slot for ABC. With its season almost over, Speechless is being double pumped on Wednesday while the season finale of How to Get Away with Murder and the last 9pm episode of Scandal follow on Thursday. Sunday brings us the second week of American Idol and Deception.

MONDAY
8:00 American Idol
10:00 The Good Doctor

TUESDAY
8:00 The Middle
8:30 Fresh Off the Boat
9:00 Black-ish
9:30 Black-ish
10:00 For the People (SERIES PREMIERE)

WEDNESDAY
8:00 Speechless
8:30 Speechless
9:00 Modern Family (Repeat)
9:30 American Housewife
10:00 Designated Survivor

THURSDAY
8:00 Grey's Anatomy
9:00 Scandal
10:00 How to Get Away with Murder (Season Finale)

FRIDAY
8:00 Once Upon a Time
9:00 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
10:00 20/20

SATURDAY
8:00 20/20 (Repeat)
9:00 Deception (Repeat)
10:00 For the People (Repeat)

SUNDAY
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
8:00 American Idol
10:00 Deception

CBS
CBS has a mix of repeats and new episodes to start the week before giving way to the NCAA Tournament starting Thursday. Then after three days of basketball, they are premiering the drama Instinct on Sunday night. I'm sure it will get a lot of promotion during the tournament, but I don't think that will keep it from a low premiere.

MONDAY
8:00 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
8:30 Man with a Plan
9:00 Young Sheldon (Repeat)
9:30 Living Biblically
10:00 NCIS (Repeat)

TUESDAY
8:00 NCIS
9:00 Bull
10:00 NCIS: New Orleans

WEDNESDAY
8:00 Survivor
9:00 NCIS (Repeat)
10:00 Criminal Minds

THURSDAY
8:00 NCAA Basketball Tournament

FRIDAY
8:00 NCAA Basketball Tournament

SATURDAY
8:00 NCAA Basketball Tournament

SUNDAY
7:00 60 Minutes
8:00 Instinct (SERIES PREMIERE)
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles
10:00 Madam Secretary

NBC
NBC has the season finale of This is Us on Tuesday night and it is followed by the series premiere of Rise. Rise was a very buzzy project last year and seemed like a natural successor to This is Us but the buzz now seems to be at a minimum so it could be in for a disappointing premiere. Sunday night has the season premiere of Little Big Shots and the series premiere of the new Neil Patrick Harris game show Genius Junior.

MONDAY
8:00 The Voice
10:00 Good Girls

TUESDAY
8:00 The Voice
9:00 This is Us (Season Finale)
10:00 Rise (SERIES PREMIERE)

WEDNESDAY
8:00 The Blacklist
9:00 Law & Order: SVU
10:00 Chicago PD

THURSDAY
8:00 Superstore
8:30 A.P. Bio
9:00 Will & Grace
9:30 Champions
10:00 Chicago Fire (Repeat)

FRIDAY
8:00 Blindspot
9:00 Taken
10:00 Dateline NBC

SATURDAY
8:00 Will & Grace (Repeat)
8:30 Superstore (Repeat)
9:00 Dateline NBC
10:00 Saturday Night Live (Repeat)

SUNDAY
7:00 Little Big Shots (Season Premiere)
8:00 Little Big Shots
9:00 Genius Junior (SERIES PREMIERE)
10:00 Timeless

FOX
It's a pretty normal week for FOX. The Sunday lineup returns after many weeks off and Ghosted has been benched for the return of Brooklyn Nine-Nine to its own timeslot.

MONDAY
8:00 Lucifer
9:00 The Resident

TUESDAY
8:00 Lethal Weapon (Repeat)
9:00 LA to Vegas
9:30 The Mick

WEDNESDAY
8:00 The X-Files
9:00 9-1-1

THURSDAY
8:00 Gotham
9:00 Showtime at the Apollo

FRIDAY
8:00 Masterchef Junior
9:00 9-1-1 (Repeat)

SATURDAY
8:00 Masterchef Junior (Repeat)
9:00 Showtime at the Apollo (Repeat)

SUNDAY
7:00 Bob's Burgers (Repeat)
7:30 Bob's Burgers
8:00 The Simpsons
8:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine
9:00 Family Guy
9:30 The Last Man on Earth

CW
The CW is mostly new with a regular schedule except a special preempts Supernatural on Thursday. The race to the bottom (a 0.1 demo) is on between Life Sentence and Dynasty.

MONDAY
8:00 DC's Legends of Tomorrow
9:00 iZombie

TUESDAY
8:00 The Flash
9:00 Black Lightning

WEDNESDAY
8:00 Riverdale
9:00 Life Sentence

THURSDAY
8:00 Tough Mudder: Tougher Together (Special)
9:00 Arrow (Repeat)

FRIDAY
8:00 Dynasty
9:00 Jane the Virgin

TV NEWS & THOUGHTS
- It might seem early but NBC is already thinking about summer, announcing early summer premiere dates. Summer staple America's Got Talent and last year's new hit World of Dance will have their season premieres on May 29 while American Ninja Warrior and Running Wild with Bear Grylls premiere a day later.

- ABC has renewed The Good Doctor for a second season. The hit freshman drama got an early renewal, which is no surprise a few weeks ahead of its season finale.