tv Promising pilots to watch for this fall
As we bake in the heat of summer, the TV industry gears up for the fall season. Of course, everyone acknowledges that the season is now year-round and the proliferation of original content never sleeps.
And yet, the outmoded idea of “Premiere Week” in mid-September still has a certain cachet.
On the eve of the television critics’ summer 2015 press tour in Los Angeles — an endurance test of news conferences for each TV and cable network, streaming service and anyone else pumping entertainment to small screens — I participated in Broadcasting & Cable’s critics’ roundtable to assess the coming season.
Many of the forthcoming pilots are already available online. Clearly, the programmers know the Internet doesn’t wait for September and “sneak peeks” are just the latest form of marketing.
So, which pilot left the best first impression? This is a better question than which was the most promising show, because it's tough to endorse a new series based on 43 minutes (drama) or 23 minutes (comedy). And you can never entirely trust a pilot to indicate the series’ progression. But the best first impression: NBC’s “Blindspot.” You’ve probably seen the stunning promo featuring the young woman who emerges, covered only in tatoos, in Times Square, not knowing who she is. If you liked “Blacklist,” you may switch to this involved mystery-conspiracy thriller. It may turn out to be indecipherable, like the tats, but it definitely makes a strong entrance. And which series has the best built-in audience? The revival of “The Muppets” on ABC.
Most promising fall pilots: “Supergirl” on CBS. With its “Superman” mythology, playful treatment of feminist ideas and presence of Colorado’s Melissa Benoist, it hits the right tone. And “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” on CW (a musical comedy with production numbers!) could make Rachel Bloom, who writes and stars in the hour, a breakout name this season.
The worst of the pack: “The Grinder,” a supposed comedy on Fox starring Rob Lowe as an egomaniacal TV lawyer; “Grandfathered,” a cutesy John Stamos dramedy on Fox, in which a confirmed bachelor discovers he is a father, and a grandfather; and “Chicago Med,” Dick Wolf ’s latest for NBC.
One tough question, kicked around annually, is the trouble with sitcoms. “Why do you think sitcoms continue to be so challenging, while we’re seeing a sort of renaissance of comedy (particularly sketch) on cable and in late night?”
It’s true, the sitcom format feels tired compared with the sketch/single-cam shows. The format felt dated in 1980 — it only feels more so now. But there's reason for optimism: Now and then, something different comes along — this year, it was “You’re the Worst” on FX — that reminds us how inventive a comedy can be.
Which show would I recommend everyone binge-watch immediately? I picked one that hasn’t gotten its share of attention: “Getting On,” HBO’s brilliant tragi-comedy with a terrific cast.