Past New Drama Recaps: 2017-18 2016-17 2015-16 2014-15 2013-14 2012-13 2011-12 2010-11
God Friended Me (CBS) - When I first heard about God Friended Me and read the log line last pilot season, I thought it sounded about as dumb as could be. When I saw the trailer and even when I watched the first episode, I was more intrigued but not sure where it could go. Well it ended up being the feel good drama of the year and was delightfully whimsical yet it had a running mystery that was intriguing too. It reminded me of a lighter version of Person of Interest where the team would get a name and have to piece together a story. Between likable performances and a bright, sunny view of New York City - it was a refreshing drama to watch each week.
RUNNER-UP: New Amsterdam (NBC) - This was a pretty standard medical drama but a strong performance by Ryan Eggold and good characters overall kept me coming back. I often get disinterested in medical dramas (aside from Chicago Med) after a couple episodes. That didn't happen here.
Worth Mentioning: The Village (NBC)/Homecoming (Amazon)
Brandon Michael Hall, God Friended Me (CBS) - Everyone seemed to be excited about Brandon Michael Hall in The Mayor last year, thinking he was the next big thing. I didn't see what all the fuss was about with him or the show. But this year, God Friended Me was a much better vehicle for Hall. As Miles Finer, the podcasting atheist who is befriended on social media by God, Hall brought a lot of humor and heart to the role. Whether he was helping his case of the week, interacting with his friends, or blossoming in romance, he was charming and a strong lead to a strong show.
RUNNER-UP: Ryan Eggold, New Amsterdam (NBC) - Ryan Eggold certainly elevated New Amsterdam with a strong performance as the head of the overworked hospital. But I liked him better earlier in the season when he was more take charge and before they got bogged down in the cancer story.
Worth Mentioning: Noah Wyle, The Red Line (CBS)/Scott Foley, Whiskey Cavalier (ABC)
Julia Roberts, Homecoming (Amazon) - Homecoming was a show that I was really excited about and one of the few streaming shows I actually watched close to its release. Some of it ended up leaving me cold, but it was still a very interesting show to watch. Elevating it in a big way was Julia Roberts in the lead role. There's something that still feels special about an iconic movie star doing a TV show even in today's day and age. Roberts' confusion as Heidi Bergman helped us feel confused as well, which seemed to be the point. With Roberts not returning for season two, I doubt I will stay with the show.
RUNNER-UP: Michaela McManus, The Village (NBC) - The Village has a sprawling amount of stories and it's hard to follow or care about each one. But Michaela McManus' with her on screen pregnant daughter and long lost lover is probably the most compelling. McManus plays the frazzled mom quite well.
Worth Mentioning: Robin Tunney, The Fix (ABC)/Lauren Cohan, Whiskey Cavalier (ABC)
Bobby Cannavale, Homecoming (Amazon) - While Julia Roberts was what made me most interested in Homecoming, the other great performance came from Bobby Cannavale. As the fast talking, manipulating Colin Belfast, Cannavale had a pretty interesting run throughout the series where most of what he did was via a cell phone before he became more integrated in the plot towards the end of the season. Even if it didn't totally pay off, I liked the mystery of Cannavale's character and his brashness in the role.
RUNNER-UP: Tyler Labine, New Amsterdam (NBC) - Although playing the same type of role as Oliver Platt on Chicago Med, Tyler Labine brought his typical likability to New Amsterdam as Dr. Iggy Frome. I don't know if the show always gave him the best storylines, but he was solid throughout the season.
Worth Mentioning: Suraj Sharma, God Friended Me (CBS)/Stephan James, Homecoming (Amazon)
Grace Park, A Million Little Things (ABC) - I did end up watching the whole season of A Million Little Things, but I wasn't thrilled with it even as I was watching it. The show was far too emotionally manipulative and weepy and the performances bordered on obnoxious, which is why you don't see other actors from the show anywhere on this list. But Grace Park was easily the best part of the cast. As stressed mom Katherine Kim, Park was one of the few characters who seemed to actually be a good person and I found myself rooting for her the most.
RUNNER-UP: Violett Beane, God Friended Me (CBS) - As Cara Bloom the journalist, Violett Beane is a great member of the God Friended Me ensemble. She had palpable chemistry with Brandon Michael Hall and was charming in her own story as well with her estranged mother.
Worth Mentioning: Grace Van Dien, The Village (NBC)/Perdita Weeks, Magnum P.I. (CBS)
In the Dark (CW) - While I will try not to rehash my pilot review, this was the show that was the most of a mess in my opinion. It couldn't seem to decide at all what kind of show it wanted to be. Was it a dark comedy? An antihero show? A crime drama? A mystery? It tried to be all of those things in the pilot and didn't succeed at any of them. Color me surprised that it even got on the air at all, much less got a second season even with the CW's very low threshold for renewal.
RUNNER-UP: Legacies (CW) - Another CW show I didn't enjoy, this one wasn't as much of a mess as In the Dark, but it just wasn't for me. I've never been a fan of vampire shows and although the school setting made me hope it might surprise me, I became uninterested about 10 minutes into the pilot.
Worth Mentioning: The Passage (FOX)/Charmed (CW)
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