ABC announced its new fall shows today. Here are mini-reviews of seven of ‘em. Warning: they’re based solely on short clips provided by the network, so I (and you) reserve the right to adjust the grades of them, up or down, once full-length episodes are available. But that will be… in the fall. Who wants to wait to have an opinion until then? (Clips added where available.)
• Modern Family This sitcom follows three very different suburban families including Married… With Children‘s Ed O’Neil as a guy who’s married a much younger woman, and a gay couple who’ve just adopted a Vietnamese baby. It has a crisp knowingness that seems very promising.
A-
• Eastwick That sound you hear is John Updike rolling over in his grave: This TV version of The Witches of Eastwick, starring Rebecca Romijn and Lipstick Jungle‘s Lindsay Price, looks amazingly lame, as though ABC had put it through a Desperate Housewives wringer and then squeezed out all the jokes.
C-
• Flash Forward The season’s trickiest premise: in a worldwide event, everyone blacks out for two minutes, 17 seconds and has mysterious visions. It all looked like a muddle in a brief clip, but since it is a complex idea, and is created by David Goyer (The Dark Knight) and Brandon Braga (24), it could be better than it seemed.
C+
• Cougar Town Poor Courtney Cox: Why can’t this woman find another good TV project. She plays a desperate divorcee with a son, and she’s trying to get back in the dating game. Worst exchange in the clip I saw: "When was the last time you got laid?" Cox’s character: "I almost hooked up with my son last night." What? Huh?
C
• Hank Kelsey Grammer stars as a self-described "rich white man" who’s suddenly downsized. Yes, he’s working another variation on his Frasier character, but yes, it’s still funny.
B
• The Middle Patricia Heaton (Grammer’s partner in the recent, short-lived Back To You) seems miscast as the harried wife of Neil Flynn (Scrubs‘ janitor). Heaton is called upon to be frantic, slinging a bag of fast food on the table and yelling, "I made dinner!" It’s like pre-Everybody Loves Raymond-era humor.
C
• The Forgotten A group of amateur detectives solves unidentified-victim murder cases. They’re called the Identity Network. They’re earnest but hardboiled, intense but… dull. With 24‘s Reiko Aylesworth and Tell Me You Love Me‘s Michelle Borth.
C
Eastwick is the only I am watching. In spite, of this review.
So… now we’re writing articles and passing judgement about shows that have yet to air. That’s just stupid. You know Ken, you don’t have to write an article just to fill space. Take some time, think. I know you can use that brain for something other than wasting time. Seriously, is this article supposed to be informative? Of course not… it’s supposed to get us talking, I get it. But here’s the thing… none of these shows have aired, so you’d just get us talking about things we would have to business to discuss. Come on Ken, give us some real writing.
umm..he gets to watch the pilots, which is what he’s using to pass judgement on these shows. Duh.
Haha, I came here as a bit of nostalgia, looking up your C- review of MTV’s The State… where you praised Dead at 21. Remember that? It was hilariously unprophetic. The State is considered a cult classic and due for DVD release, and nobody remembers that convoluted piece of cyberpunk wannabe garbage except you and me. I’m amused to see you still have a job here! Yeah, looking through your history with EW, seems you’re just not terribly good at your job.
Saw the pilot of “The Middle”. It’s hot garbage on a summer day.
Every one of those shows will be canceled within 36 episodes… except for FlashForward.
That one has virtual guarantees because of its source material the sway of its production team. The novel is awesome.
Courtney Cox’s show does sound bad. I love her but don’t think I’ll watch a show called Cougar Town.
why do we bother invest our time with these shows.. they are only gonna get pulled… i wish tv execs at least do a wrap-up before they decide to take it off the air… and shove the reality crap down our throats or other stupid shows… =( i hope life on mars shows up on dvd soon..
On paper, Courtney Cox’s show seems horrendous. But let’s not forget that Bill Lawrence is at the helm of that ship, and his track record alone should deserve at least a test run.
Also, why are you posting this now? I’m sure 3 and a half months from now when Eastwick premieres, my first thought will be ‘Ken Tucker thought this was slightly below average’.
The Forgotten, i had my hopes on this show, cuz of Jerry Bruckheimer, but no, its just another “L&A + CSI” clone.
good thing they cancelled Pushing Daisies to make way for such stellar replacements… next up… Dancing with the Bachelor!!!!!!!!
Why doesn’t Kelsey Grammer take a page from his “father”‘s (John Mahoney;)) playbook and try something different? Mahoney has been absolutely riveting this year as the broken CEO, Walter, on “In Treatment”. Not once do you even think of “Frasier” when watching. Oh wait.. I forgot, this is network television and they are only capable of recycling old ideas and audience memories – since the writer’s strike originality has no place in network!
I thought I read that Neil Flynn was going to back on Scrubs? Guess not?
ANY show that glorifies or redefines family to include the glorification and normalization of homosexual behavior like Modern Family promises to do is an automatic looser. Hollywood/TV writers are truly out of original ideas. All they can come up with these days shows with gays in them. Grade F.
Normal Wed, May 20, 2009 at 10:50 AM EST
ANY show that glorifies or redefines family to include the glorification and normalization of homosexual behavior like Modern Family promises to do is an automatic looser. Hollywood/TV writers are truly out of original ideas. All they can come up with these days shows with gays in them. Grade F.
And anybody who would throw a major hissy fit about a TV show that hasn’t even aired yet because of some outdated hateful attitude they have towards people they don’t know or met instantly loses all credibility. Get over yourself and get a life, while you’re at it.
And while you’re at it, Normal, learn how to spell. It’s LOSER, not LOOSER.
By the way, Kettle returned your call. Something about you saying she’s black?