FALL PREVIEW 2017: Monday

Here is my Fall Preview for Monday, a night with the most new shows of any night of the week!

ABC
8:00 Dancing with the Stars (25th edition)
10:00 THE GOOD DOCTOR

ABC finally broke up its Dancing with the Stars/Castle pairing last season by cancelling Castle, but they didn't find the right replacement as Conviction was an instant bomb and Quantico was past the point of no return in its second season. They will try again with The Good Doctor, starring Freddie Highmore fresh off of his run on Bates Motel. The show has gotten some decent buzz over the summer, which very few new shows this season can say. I have to think it will be an improvement on Conviction and Quantico. Earlier in the night, Dancing with the Stars begins its 25th edition with a solid cast. As usual, The Bachelor will take over in the winter.

CBS
8:00 (Sep) The Big Bang Theory (11th season)/(late Oct) Kevin Can Wait (2nd season)
8:30 9JKL
9:00 (Sep) Kevin Can Wait (2nd season)/(late Oct) ME, MYSELF, AND I
9:30 (Sep) ME, MYSELF, AND I/(late Oct) Superior Donuts (2nd season)
10:00 Scorpion (4th season)

As usual, CBS is somewhat of a mess due to The Big Bang Theory starting off here before heading back to Thursdays. In fact, its Thursday companion and spinoff, Young Sheldon, will even get a preview here on opening night before 9JKL premieres a week later. At 9pm, Kevin Can Wait will air for two months before heading to 8pm as the lead-off into 9JKL while newbie Me, Myself, and I will start at 9:30pm before sliding up to 9pm. At 9:30pm in late October is Superior Donuts while the only slot not impacted by all the craziness is Scorpion, which will start from the beginning at 10pm. It's crazy that the entire 8-10pm lineup on the first Monday is different shows and/or different slots than what's planned for just over a month later, on October 30. I get trying to use Big Bang as a lead-in as much as possible, but this is getting a little ridiculous. I know timeslots matter less, but this is still pretty confusing.

NBC
8:00 The Voice (13th edition)
10:00 THE BRAVE

Once again, NBC will pair up a high profile newbie with The Voice, now entering its 13th season and featuring returning coach Miley Cyrus and new coach Jennifer Hudson. Last year, the new drama was Timeless, one of many new time travel shows in Fall 2016. This year, the new drama is The Brave, one of many new military shows in Fall 2017. This could be a more accessible show for the Voice audience than Timeless was and the slot is there for the taking with a fellow newbie on ABC and a drama that has probably maxed out its potential audience on CBS. Still, these post-Voice shows haven't seen a true breakout since The Blacklist in Fall 2013 and this one doesn't seem to be next breakout in my opinion. It might do enough to get renewed, they usually do, but I don't see it being a huge hit.

FOX
8:00 Lucifer (3rd season)
9:00 THE GIFTED

FOX is changing things up a bit on Mondays by moving Lucifer to 8pm. This has consistently been a solid performer for FOX, but it hasn't been asked to lead off a night until now. We'll see if it can hold its own in a difficult slot. It is followed by The Gifted, one of two new Marvel shows airing this fall on the broadcast networks. By all accounts, this is the stronger creatively of the two (the other being ABC's The Inhumans). FOX has not aired a Marvel show but they are no stranger to superhero and/or genre shows. It will get a ton of promotion from the NFL so it has a chance.

CW
8:00 Supergirl (3rd season)
9:00 VALOR

Even the CW is getting in on the trend of military shows this fall. It will air the drama Valor, which is a military show but also with a CW-style soapy element to it. Despite the fact that it seems somewhat aimed towards the CW audience, this is not their typical type of show and it could be a tough sell as military dramas tend to skew older and that is not something the CW does well. It's also a weird match with its lead-in, Supergirl, which in its first season on the CW last year, became the second highest rated CW show after The Flash.

New Monday Show Survival Chances
The Good Doctor (ABC) - Good. I was high on Conviction last year and that backfired on me, but I'm gonna put faith in ABC again here. This seems to have the buzz to be a nice improvement.

9JKL (CBS) - Poor. Yes it has a great slot for awhile (after The Big Bang Theory for a month) but with its terrible reviews, I think it will fade quickly once Big Bang leaves the night.

Me, Myself, and I (CBS) - Fair. I could see this being an instant bomb too, but for some reason I'm a little more optimistic. I think relative to expectations, it will be stronger than 9JKL.

The Brave (NBC) - Fair. As far as post-Voice shows go, I'm pretty down on this. I guess it could still get a second season, even Timeless did, but I'm skeptical. I liked its previous title, For God and Country, much better.

The Gifted (FOX) - Good. I think this will have enough football promotion and Marvel luster to do enough on Monday nights and get a renewal.

Valor (CW) - Poor. CW and military dramas just don't mix and I don't think Valor will be able to find an audience.