2014 Fall TV Preview

Every year I get excited when the new fall season of television starts. What will catch my fancy? What writers will blow my mind? Lately, though I've been discouraged as networks don't give many shows a chance. Still I keep on watching. Here are my ratings, after trying to watch each show more than once, from 1-10 of the new shows.

• Forever - This show is pretty much like every other autopsy/medical examiner show, and like all those other shows it has its own spin. The spin in this one is that the examiner can't die. He is shot, knifed, hit by cars, etc. and always awakens naked in water alive. I love medical examiner shows having been a fan of Quincy, Crossing Jordan, Body of Proof, and now Unforgettable, and Rizzoli & Isles, and I like this show too. The whole unable to die thing is interesting because it explains why this guy is so intelligent and knowledgeable, hell the man has lived through centuries. I like Judd Hirsch in the role as his son, a twist I didn't see coming, and it gives the show some depth that might not otherwise be there. Rating: 7
• Black-ish - I'm not much into comedy, unless the writing is sharp and witty, and I don't find that many comedies have that. This comedy had huge hype, and I really wanted to love it, but after the first episode I had some doubts. That is why I watch an episode again, and I'm glad I did because this comedy is funny, has good acting, and the writing is above par. Rating: 8
• Mysteries of Laura - Here is another show that got better after its pilot. I really almost gave up on this show after that first episode where Debra Messing's television twins were so obnoxious and naughty that I just knew these kids were going to grow up as sociopaths. The writer must not have kids and is projecting his/her hateful feelings into these two hellions, but get past that part of the show and it is entertaining. Messing plays a cop and she is not a cop to be messed with. Her ex-husband, the divorce papers were just signed, is now her captain (like that would happen in real life) and the two are ying and yang. The writing is not great, but Messing tries really hard. I'll keep checking in on it online as it comes up against two other shows I record. Rating: 7
• Red Bank Society - I don't know much about children living in hospitals, but most television is not within the realms of reality in the first place. I like this show. I like the kids and the writing. I love Octavia Spencer. The character of Kara was a tad overboard, but I hope she will tone down as the season wears on. Rating: 4
• How to Get Away with Murder - I hate when college professors use students to commit murders or to do their dirty work. Are students really this cut throat or desperate? I've only seen two episodes, but I find the show creepy. It isn't something I jump to watch when I sit down to empty out the DVR because it seems like I've seen the movie version already. I get the whole Shonda hype, but she can do better. Rating: 5
• Bad Judge - I thought this show was a drama. My first thought was am I really suppose to believe this kind of behavior exists in the court system?  But then much to my embarrassment I was laughing out loud more than once. The writing is witty and quick, and while the main character is over the top, her bailiff has the best lines and the best comedic timing. Plus it has some heart. Rating: 8
• A to Z - Maddy likes this show, but I find it boring. We watch it after The Middle, Modern Family and black-ish, and it is no where near the level of those shows. The writing isn't terrible, but the characters bore me. The female is so insecure and the male is so sweet and they are oil and water. I don't see this relationship lasting and frankly, I really don't care whether it does or not. Rating: 5
• Scorpion - I will admit that this show is a been there, done that show, but I enjoy it. It is fluff TV that isn't terrible. It isn't great, but it holds my interest when there is nothing on that I want to watch. Rating: 6
• Gotham - Here is another show that I didn't expect to like, but enjoy nonetheless. It is pre-Batman era, with Bruce Wayne as a middle schooler and Commissioner Gordon just a lowly detective. The back drop is pure Gotham and all the characters are there, just before they became foes of the masked one. Rating: 8
• Madam Secretary - THE BEST NEW SHOW ON TELEVISION! Love it! Tea Leoni is the bomb! I would vote for her for president and for every other elected position she wanted. The writing is smart and sharp and the characters are real. Leoni plays, for once, a strong, independent, beautiful woman who doesn't let men tell her what to do. She is a former CIA agent who has been asked by the president, her former CIA boss, to fill the position of secretary of the state. Her husband is loving and supportive. Her children aren't anything like the rest of the children on the new shows, but are intelligent and well behaved. The stories are out of the headlines, but no matter the weekly issue, Leoni's secretary kicks ass! Rating: 10
• Gracepoint - I read that this is a remake of a show across the pond and the stories and characters are much the same, even the main actor. The author of the article wasn't very happy about this, but since I've never seen the original I have no problem with it. It reminds me of the a show two seasons ago about a group of people involved in a bank robbery. I like that show and I like this one. The show is going to wrap up this season so that the mystery ends and it won't get too tedious, and besides Nick Nolte is in it. Rating: 7
• Marry Me - I was tired when I saw the first episode, but like A to Z I wasn't too caught up in these two lives. I liked the main characters better, but a show about proposing just right makes me, well, tired. Rating:6