Now that all the networks have revealed their midseason plans, here are my quick thoughts on the many new shows coming, both from their trailer (if I've seen it) and chance for success.
ABC
Galavant (Sundays at 8pm for four weeks (two episodes a week), premieres Jan 4)
I don't even know what to make of this show. It seems so absurd yet it also seems like it could be charming. I don't see it working though. It's hard to imagine fans of the dark Once Upon a Time being all about a musical romp, even if it has to do with fairy tales.
Marvel's Agent Carter (Tuesdays at 9pm for seven weeks, 2 hour premiere Jan 6)
While I am not a big Marvel fan, I am quite intrigued by the 1940s setting and it's made me much more interested in this show than I would have been otherwise. I don't have huge hopes for it though considering Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. seems more mass appealing and doesn't do all that well.
Fresh Off the Boat (Tuesdays at 8pm starting Feb 10, special Weds premiere Feb 4 at 8:30pm & 9:30pm)
I have been excited about this show since the trailer first came out in May. I thought it looked like the funniest new comedy on any network. I'm so troubled by the scheduling though because comedies go to die at 8pm Tuesday on ABC. Hopefully the Weds premiere will give it some good will and it can exceed recent Tues 8pm entries.
Secrets and Lies (Sundays at 9pm, premieres Mar 1)
I love a good murder mystery but I'm skeptical about where they go on TV shows and how often they get overly complicated or dragged out. I'm also not a big Juliette Lewis fan and I'm indifferent towards Ryan Phillippe. I could see it being like Resurrection last year with its post-Oscars premiere. But will it follow the same trajectory Resurrection has had?
American Crime (Thursdays at 10pm, premieres Mar 5)
I think this looks like it could be smartly written and interesting, but it seems like a horrible fit in the timeslot. It seems methodical and slow yet it's following a show that moves at breakneck speed (Scandal) and inherits the timeslot of a show that moves even faster than that (How to Get Away with Murder). It just doesn't seem like it fits on ABC Thursday at all. I think they should have stuck with their original plan to have Secrets & Lies on Thurs and American Crime on Sun.
CBS
The Odd Couple (Thursdays at 8:30pm, premieres Feb 19) - No trailers available for CBS shows. I love Matthew Perry but I'm pretty skeptical about this. It doesn't seem like we need another Odd Couple and so many other shows play on that premise anyway.
Battle Creek (Sundays at 10pm, premieres Mar 1) - Well, I know so little about this show so I really have no opinion. But I don't think it has a great chance with a sleepy 10pm Sunday timeslot.
CSI: Cyber (Wednesdays at 10pm, premieres Mar 4) - I've never been big into the CSI franchise, but I'm mildly intrigued in this one only because the cyber element seems interesting. Of the three CBS midseason shows, I think this is the only one that might make some noise. The CSI thing is tired but Criminal Minds fans are used to having a CSI show follow it at 10pm.
NBC
Allegiance (Thursdays at 10pm, premieres Feb 5) - Sounds like an interesting premise but also a little bit complicated. I'm skeptical of this whole drama lineup for NBC on Thursday since it has to go against ABC's powerful lineup. Therefore, I'm skeptical of a serial show like this working.
The Slap (Thursdays at 8pm, premieres Feb 12) - I know very little about this "limited" series. I'm very doubtful that it will be able to find an audience and I think NBC will have a short leash if it seems like it's bringing down The Blacklist at 9pm.
One Big Happy (Tuesdays at 9pm, premieres Mar 17) - I have no idea about the quality of this show but I like the idea of trying a multi-cam comedy after The Voice on Tuesdays. The single cam comedies certainly haven't been working so why not give it a shot?
A.D. (Sundays at 9pm, premieres Apr 5) - This is the only trailer I've seen so far from NBC and I think it stands a chance to make some serious noise considering how well The Bible did. With an Easter Sunday premiere, this could be a show that transcends the regular network TV audience.
Odyssey (Sundays at 10pm, premieres Apr 5) - I'm high on its lead-in, A.D., but I don't know that this will be able to find the same audience or capitalize on a potentially large lead-in. I like the concept on paper but I've been duped by shows like this before. We'll see...
FOX
Empire (Wednesdays at 9pm, premieres Jan 7) - Of all the FOX newbies at midseason, this is the only one I have reasonably decent hopes for. I think it should definitely be an improvement on former timeslot holder Red Band Society, and the bar isn't too high for FOX shows.
World's Funniest Fails (Fridays at 8pm, premieres Jan 16) - This is just filler stuff on Friday leading into the final season of Glee, which nobody cares about. I don't think it'll do well, but it doesn't really have to.
Backstrom (Thursdays at 9pm, premieres Jan 22) - This is totally the Rake of 2015. I don't see it working at all and an American Idol lead-in doesn't mean much anymore. It seems a sure goner to me and it really doesn't seem appealing.
Last Man on Earth (Sundays at 9:30pm, premieres Mar 1 at 9pm) - Talk about your niche comedies. FOX has so much unappealing junk coming on its midseason schedule. They're just gonna have to get through it and reboot for Fall 2015. I don't see this getting any traction at all and it doesn't strike me as funny in the least.
Weird Loners (Tuesdays at 9:30pm, premieres Mar 31) - See what I wrote about Last Man on Earth, and give it about a 2% better chance.
ABC
Galavant (Sundays at 8pm for four weeks (two episodes a week), premieres Jan 4)
I don't even know what to make of this show. It seems so absurd yet it also seems like it could be charming. I don't see it working though. It's hard to imagine fans of the dark Once Upon a Time being all about a musical romp, even if it has to do with fairy tales.
Marvel's Agent Carter (Tuesdays at 9pm for seven weeks, 2 hour premiere Jan 6)
While I am not a big Marvel fan, I am quite intrigued by the 1940s setting and it's made me much more interested in this show than I would have been otherwise. I don't have huge hopes for it though considering Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. seems more mass appealing and doesn't do all that well.
Fresh Off the Boat (Tuesdays at 8pm starting Feb 10, special Weds premiere Feb 4 at 8:30pm & 9:30pm)
I have been excited about this show since the trailer first came out in May. I thought it looked like the funniest new comedy on any network. I'm so troubled by the scheduling though because comedies go to die at 8pm Tuesday on ABC. Hopefully the Weds premiere will give it some good will and it can exceed recent Tues 8pm entries.
Secrets and Lies (Sundays at 9pm, premieres Mar 1)
I love a good murder mystery but I'm skeptical about where they go on TV shows and how often they get overly complicated or dragged out. I'm also not a big Juliette Lewis fan and I'm indifferent towards Ryan Phillippe. I could see it being like Resurrection last year with its post-Oscars premiere. But will it follow the same trajectory Resurrection has had?
American Crime (Thursdays at 10pm, premieres Mar 5)
I think this looks like it could be smartly written and interesting, but it seems like a horrible fit in the timeslot. It seems methodical and slow yet it's following a show that moves at breakneck speed (Scandal) and inherits the timeslot of a show that moves even faster than that (How to Get Away with Murder). It just doesn't seem like it fits on ABC Thursday at all. I think they should have stuck with their original plan to have Secrets & Lies on Thurs and American Crime on Sun.
CBS
The Odd Couple (Thursdays at 8:30pm, premieres Feb 19) - No trailers available for CBS shows. I love Matthew Perry but I'm pretty skeptical about this. It doesn't seem like we need another Odd Couple and so many other shows play on that premise anyway.
Battle Creek (Sundays at 10pm, premieres Mar 1) - Well, I know so little about this show so I really have no opinion. But I don't think it has a great chance with a sleepy 10pm Sunday timeslot.
CSI: Cyber (Wednesdays at 10pm, premieres Mar 4) - I've never been big into the CSI franchise, but I'm mildly intrigued in this one only because the cyber element seems interesting. Of the three CBS midseason shows, I think this is the only one that might make some noise. The CSI thing is tired but Criminal Minds fans are used to having a CSI show follow it at 10pm.
NBC
Allegiance (Thursdays at 10pm, premieres Feb 5) - Sounds like an interesting premise but also a little bit complicated. I'm skeptical of this whole drama lineup for NBC on Thursday since it has to go against ABC's powerful lineup. Therefore, I'm skeptical of a serial show like this working.
The Slap (Thursdays at 8pm, premieres Feb 12) - I know very little about this "limited" series. I'm very doubtful that it will be able to find an audience and I think NBC will have a short leash if it seems like it's bringing down The Blacklist at 9pm.
One Big Happy (Tuesdays at 9pm, premieres Mar 17) - I have no idea about the quality of this show but I like the idea of trying a multi-cam comedy after The Voice on Tuesdays. The single cam comedies certainly haven't been working so why not give it a shot?
A.D. (Sundays at 9pm, premieres Apr 5) - This is the only trailer I've seen so far from NBC and I think it stands a chance to make some serious noise considering how well The Bible did. With an Easter Sunday premiere, this could be a show that transcends the regular network TV audience.
Odyssey (Sundays at 10pm, premieres Apr 5) - I'm high on its lead-in, A.D., but I don't know that this will be able to find the same audience or capitalize on a potentially large lead-in. I like the concept on paper but I've been duped by shows like this before. We'll see...
FOX
Empire (Wednesdays at 9pm, premieres Jan 7) - Of all the FOX newbies at midseason, this is the only one I have reasonably decent hopes for. I think it should definitely be an improvement on former timeslot holder Red Band Society, and the bar isn't too high for FOX shows.
World's Funniest Fails (Fridays at 8pm, premieres Jan 16) - This is just filler stuff on Friday leading into the final season of Glee, which nobody cares about. I don't think it'll do well, but it doesn't really have to.
Backstrom (Thursdays at 9pm, premieres Jan 22) - This is totally the Rake of 2015. I don't see it working at all and an American Idol lead-in doesn't mean much anymore. It seems a sure goner to me and it really doesn't seem appealing.
Last Man on Earth (Sundays at 9:30pm, premieres Mar 1 at 9pm) - Talk about your niche comedies. FOX has so much unappealing junk coming on its midseason schedule. They're just gonna have to get through it and reboot for Fall 2015. I don't see this getting any traction at all and it doesn't strike me as funny in the least.
Weird Loners (Tuesdays at 9:30pm, premieres Mar 31) - See what I wrote about Last Man on Earth, and give it about a 2% better chance.
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