
Must be the Season of the Chicks
The new Fall TV Season is mere weeks away and networks are already hyping their new shows during the summer’s most highly viewed reality fare hoping to pique viewer’s curiosity and create early interest. There is clearly a dominant thread in this year’s 40-odd new pilots. Over half of them showcase females in the lead role. From comedies to dramas females will be in your face making you laugh, solving crimes, attending to your needs during your flight or refreshing your drink while sporting a “Playboy” bunny costume.
Never before have we seen such a lineup of talented and attractive women protagonists vying for your attention and our advertising dollar.
During the Upfronts, Rogers went to LA bent on acquiring some top shows this year and it appears to us that they succeeded. Many of them appear on our favorites list. CTV came back with a respectable roster of possible hits to fill their empty slots. Global however, with the exception of one heavy contender, seems to have lost out on the big titles, settling instead for some Rogers leftovers.
There is something for every taste this season – some good, others not so good and a few really, really bad. We have categorized the shows appearing on this fall’s schedules under four headings: The Really Good, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Over the next few days I will be blogging about which shows we have placed under which heading. To kick it all off today let’s look at The Really Good.
X Factor (CTV) – a no brainer – Hit. Simon Cowell and Paula together again. We all seem to love Simon’s blunt honesty . There is no age barreir to participating in this reality show.
Whitney (CTV) – delightful, engaging and relatable. Whitney Cummings’ comedic style is hilarious and leaves you wanting more.
Person of Interest (CITY) – by far the better of JJ Abrams two new Lost-like offerings Intrigue at its best.
Prime Suspect (Global) – This American remake of the British hot cop drama starring Maria Bella would make Helen Mirren proud.
2 Broke Girls (CITY) – Whitney Cummings is co-writer with Sex & The City’s Michael Patrick King which makes for some snappy patter. Definitely on our “do not miss’ list.
SMASH (CTV) – Forget Glee – This is the real deal. Deborah Messing and Angelica Houston bring this musical drama to another level.
Revenge (CITY) – Finally a Dallas-like drama combining revenge and romance as only a vengeful woman can. Madelene Stower puts Alexis to shame.
Bottom line in our view is that the X Factor will outpace its competition by appealing to all age groups and provide some pretty entertaining comments as only Simon can. Stay tuned, in coming days for more the new shows as we get further into the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the new Fall TV Season.