On NBC's "Go On," Matthew Perry (third from right) is backed by a wonderful ensemble cast, including (from left) Suzy Nakamura, Tyler James Williams, Seth Morris, Laura Benanti and Julie White. The show is not only my favorite new sitcom, but also my favorite new show in general. (Photo by Vivian Zink/NBC.)
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Well, we're pretty much through all the new premieres this season (all that's left is ABC's "Malibu Country" on Nov. 2.), and I have to say they've been pretty lackluster. There are a few new shows I like, but I'm not overwhelmingly in love with anything.
My favorite sitcom -- and favorite new show in general -- is NBC's "Go On" (9 p.m. Tuesday). It's sometimes goofy, sometimes sweet and always funny, with a great ensemble cast led by Matthew Perry. (Also noteworthy is Julie White as the snarky lesbian widower, Anne.)
My favorite drama, and second-favorite show overall, is ABC's "666 Park Avenue" (10 p.m. Sunday). It's been billed as a supernatural soap, but it's really just a straight-up supernatural drama/mystery.
I love the Faustian bargains the tenants make with Terry O'Quinn's deliciously sinister building owner and the intriguing way they play out. It's not over-the-top horror like FX's "American Horror Story," but it has plenty of chills and creepiness.
I've been enjoying NBC's "Revolution" (10 p.m. Monday), which ranks high on my new-shows list, but fairly low on my overall watch list. As my sister said when we were discussing early episodes, it's "not spectacular, but entertaining enough." I'm enjoying it not for the blackout mystery but for the militia/Monroe Republic aspect, which, to me, has the more interesting stories.
I also like the CW's "Arrow" (8 p.m. Wednesday) and Fox's "The Mindy Project" (9:30 p.m. Tuesday), although they've only aired two and three episodes, respectively. ABC's "Last Resort" (8 p.m. Thursday) and CBS' "Vegas" (10 p.m. Tuesday) are OK, although I wouldn't be particularly upset if I missed an episode or they got canceled.
Cancellation won't be the case for "Vegas," as it and everything else I've mentioned except "666" have been given full season pickups. Other pickups are NBC's "The New Normal," Fox's "Ben and Kate" and CBS' "Elementary." ABC has given "666," "Last Resort" and "The Neighbors" an additional two to three episodes each (Correction: these shows have been given additional scripts, not episodes. There's no guarantee the episodes will be filmed.)
The only cancellation thus far is CBS' "Made in Jersey." I wasn't interested in it, but I didn't think it was terrible. There are others more deserving of the axe. Plus, it underwent some big changes after the pilot, writing out two major characters, so to only give it one new episode after the revamp hardly seems fair.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Well, we're pretty much through all the new premieres this season (all that's left is ABC's "Malibu Country" on Nov. 2.), and I have to say they've been pretty lackluster. There are a few new shows I like, but I'm not overwhelmingly in love with anything.
My favorite sitcom -- and favorite new show in general -- is NBC's "Go On" (9 p.m. Tuesday). It's sometimes goofy, sometimes sweet and always funny, with a great ensemble cast led by Matthew Perry. (Also noteworthy is Julie White as the snarky lesbian widower, Anne.)
My favorite drama, and second-favorite show overall, is ABC's "666 Park Avenue" (10 p.m. Sunday). It's been billed as a supernatural soap, but it's really just a straight-up supernatural drama/mystery.
I love the Faustian bargains the tenants make with Terry O'Quinn's deliciously sinister building owner and the intriguing way they play out. It's not over-the-top horror like FX's "American Horror Story," but it has plenty of chills and creepiness.
I've been enjoying NBC's "Revolution" (10 p.m. Monday), which ranks high on my new-shows list, but fairly low on my overall watch list. As my sister said when we were discussing early episodes, it's "not spectacular, but entertaining enough." I'm enjoying it not for the blackout mystery but for the militia/Monroe Republic aspect, which, to me, has the more interesting stories.
I also like the CW's "Arrow" (8 p.m. Wednesday) and Fox's "The Mindy Project" (9:30 p.m. Tuesday), although they've only aired two and three episodes, respectively. ABC's "Last Resort" (8 p.m. Thursday) and CBS' "Vegas" (10 p.m. Tuesday) are OK, although I wouldn't be particularly upset if I missed an episode or they got canceled.
Cancellation won't be the case for "Vegas," as it and everything else I've mentioned except "666" have been given full season pickups. Other pickups are NBC's "The New Normal," Fox's "Ben and Kate" and CBS' "Elementary." ABC has given "666," "Last Resort" and "The Neighbors" an additional two to three episodes each (Correction: these shows have been given additional scripts, not episodes. There's no guarantee the episodes will be filmed.)
The only cancellation thus far is CBS' "Made in Jersey." I wasn't interested in it, but I didn't think it was terrible. There are others more deserving of the axe. Plus, it underwent some big changes after the pilot, writing out two major characters, so to only give it one new episode after the revamp hardly seems fair.
Much like the rest of life, though, TV isn't fair. All we can do is watch or record our favorite shows and hope that their ratings are strong enough to attract the almighty advertising dollar that will keep them afloat.
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Series premieres: "Jungle Gold," 10 p.m. Friday, Discovery (American miners search for gold in Ghana); "Studio E!" 8 p.m. Monday, E! (pop culture news); "Viral Video Showdown," 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Syfy (viral video competition).
Season premieres: "Project Runway All-Stars," 9 p.m. Thursday, Lifetime; "Kitchen Nightmares," 8 p.m. Friday, Fox; "Say Yes to the Dress: Bridesmaids," 9 p.m. Friday, TLC; "Gold Rush," 9 p.m. Friday, Discovery; "Ice Loves Coco," 10 p.m. Sunday, E!; "Scare Tactics," 7:30 p.m. Monday, Syfy; "Total Blackout," 10 p.m. Tuesday, Syfy.
Time change: A two-hour episode of "The Voice" bumps "Go On" and "The New Normal" to 10 and 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, NBC.
Season finales: "Beyond Scared Straight," 10 p.m. Thursday, A&E; "Married to Jonas," 10:30 p.m. Sunday, E!; "Face Off," 10 p.m. Tuesday, Syfy (live; season marathon starts at 11 a.m.).
Specials: "20/20: All-Access Nashville," 9 p.m. Friday, ABC (Katie Couric interviews country stars); "Mockingbird Lane," 8 p.m. Friday, NBC (modern reboot of "The Munsters" originally intended as a series pilot); "Flipping the White House," 10 p.m. Sunday, Discovery (the process of preparing it for a newly elected president); "Ellen DeGeneres: The Mark Twain Prize," 8 p.m. Tuesday, PBS; "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," 8 p.m. Wednesday, ABC.
W.Va. alert: Kenova's Pumpkin House is featured on "Halloween Tricked Out," 2 p.m. Saturday, HGTV; Bryan Murray, a 1993 Nitro High School graduate, will play saxophone for St. Vincent and David Byrne on Tuesday's "The Late Show with David Letterman," 11:35 p.m., CBS.
Reach Amy Robinson at flips...@wvgazette.com.
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