Fall is finally here, which means it's time for the networks to start unveiling their new shows for the 2013-2014 TV season. There are 28 shows premiering on the Big Five networks this fall, plus a few on cable, with even more coming in the spring. It's a tough road to become a successful show these days -- only a fraction of scripts that are pitched get filmed as pilots, only a handful of the pilots that are filmed get greenlit for a series, only some of those series will get picked up for a whole season, and only a few of those will be renewed for a second season (last season only 9 out of 21 dramas were renewed) -- so all the new shows premiering deserve a round of applause just for getting this far. Here's a few shows to keep an eye out on this season...only time will tell how many of them will last.
Perhaps the most anticipated show of the fall, this small-screen continuation of last summer's mega-blockbuster "The Avengers" isn't just a cheap cash-in on brand recognition: it was written and directed by the man who also wrote and directed "The Avengers", the legendary geek hero Joss Whedon. Returning to his television roots, the creator of such cult classics as "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" and "Firefly" is now taking point on this "Avengers" spinoff that, instead of centering around familiar heroes, focuses on the very human members of S.H.I.E.L.D., who keep the world safe from super-powered threats. Whedon has always been best at crafting a quirky, cohesive ensemble, and this looks to be no difference. Helmed by Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) who has somehow returned from the grave, "S.H.I.E.L.D." also centers around Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), super spy; Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge), bio-chemist; Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen), pilot and martial artist; Leo Fitz (Iain de Caestecker), engineer; and Skye (Chloe Bennet), computer hacker.
[youtube width="320" height="180"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3T-evQZiQo[/youtube]
Also on ABC: "Lucky 7", where seven gas station employees all win the lottery (9/24); "Betrayal", a sudsy soap about a woman having an affair with the man her lawyer husband is prosecuting (9/29); "Once Upon A Time In Wonderland", a spinoff of ABC's hit fantasy series, focusing on Alice's adventures (10/10)
To be fair, "Hostages" is CBS's only new drama premiering in the fall, but even if it weren't, it would still have plenty of buzz. Emmy winner Toni Collette ("United States Of Tara") plays Dr. Ellen Sanders, the surgeon charged with operating on the President. She and her family, including her husband (Tate Donovan, "Damages"), are taken hostage by a group of mercenaries led by Dylan McDermott ("The Practice"), who insist that she assassinate the President, or her family will die. A thrilling trailer promises plenty of pulse-pounding excitement, conspiracy and action, but it remains to be seen if the series can sustain its narrative steam across an entire season.
[youtube width="320" height="180"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8thzMN2jj6c[/youtube]
Our culture's fascination with superheroes continues in this new show starring Robbie Amell, the younger cousin of Stephen Amell, the star of the CW's other hit superhero show, "Arrow". "Tomorrow People" tells the story of young adults around the world who find themselves developing superhuman powers such as teleportation, telekinesis and telepathy. Of course, everything isn't wonderful for them, as they also find themselves being hunted down by a ruthless enemy played by Mark Pellegrino ("Lost"; "Dexter"). In the CW tradition, "Tomorrow People" will feature young actors struggling with relationships, angst and daddy issues while looking hot.
[youtube width="320" height="180"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwXVsRUi53k[/youtube]
Also on The CW: "The Originals", a spinoff of the popular series "The Vampire Diaries" (10/3); "Reign", a period piece about a young Mary, Queen Of Scots -- think "Gossip Girl" in the Renaissance (10/17)
From the creative mind of J.J. Abrams ("Lost"; "Fringe"; "Star Trek Into Darkness") comes a new sci-fi show about a future where every law enforcement officer is paired with an android partner. "Almost Human" stars Karl Urban (Bones from Abrams' "Star Trek" films) as John, a tough-but-traumatized cop with a deep-seated mistrust of robots who is paired with Dorian, an emotionally-unstable android prototype played by Michael Ealy ("The Good Wife"; "Flashforward"). The android's emotional responses are deemed "flaws", but they're what make him almost-human -- and John's artificial robotic leg makes him almost-machine. "Almost Human" promises to combine a case-of-the-week format with more serialized mythology, striving for the same balance that "Fringe" was famous for. Hopefully this show lives up to the quality sci-fi legacy left by that dearly departed show.
[youtube width="320" height="180"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykwxg534yAw[/youtube]
Also on FOX: "Sleepy Hollow", a modern-day retelling of the legend where Ichabod Crane inexplicably wakes up in the present day, still pursued by the Headless Horseman (9/16)
James Spader ("Boston Legal") stars in this thriller as Raymond Reddington, one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives. He unexpectedly surrenders himself into custody, where he promises to help the FBI catch other criminals, but only with the help of rookie agent Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone, "Law & Order: LA). But the questions persist: Why has Red surrendered? Why did he choose Liz? These mysteries and the action-packed conspiracy/terrorism/spy plots are sure to make this show a must-see.
[youtube width="320" height="180"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9_qgX7pTlc[/youtube]
Also on NBC: "Ironside", starring Blair Underwood ("L.A. Law") as an acerbic cop who is confined to a wheelchair after a shooting (10/2); "Dracula", starring Johnathan Rhys Meyers ("The Tudors") as the titular vampire seeking revenge by posing as an American entrepreneur (10/25)
Okay, so technically "American Horror Story" isn't a new show. But since this is an anthology show and every year tells a completely new story with new characters in a new location and new time period, every season is basically another first season. The third entry in this series is subtitled "Coven", and instead of focusing on a haunted house or an insane asylum, it takes place at a school for witches in New Orleans during both the 1830s and the present day. "AHS" mainstays Jessica Lange, Frances Conroy, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Lily Rabe, Taissa Farmiga and Denis O'Hare will be joined by newcomers Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Patti LuPone, Emma Roberts and Gabourey Sidibe. "AHS" became famous for its expert balance between disturbingly terrifying imagery and masterful performances, and you should expect no different from this season -- especially with the addition of Kathy Bates (who won an Oscar for her portrayal of the psychotic Annie Wilkes in "Misery") as Delphine LaLaurie, a real-life serial killer infamous for torturing, brutally disfiguring and murdering slaves. When she was discovered, she fled to Paris and was never caught...
[youtube width="320" height="180"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ULHF3_WNOc[/youtube]
Michael Sheen ("Frost/Nixon") stars as William Masters, a real-life pioneer in the field of human sexuality and Lizzy Caplan ("True Blood") co-stars as Virginia Johnson, his research partner. They started working together in the late 50s, and their findings are largely responsible for sparking the Sexual Revolution. This is sure to be a racy show, with its realistic depictions of experiments and the partners' frank discussion of their findings. The line between sex and science that Masters and Johnson were straddling in their work will probably find parallels in the arguments about the line between sex and art that are sure to be prevalent once this show premieres. But created by Michelle Ashford, who wrote two critically-acclaimed historical dramas for HBO ("The Pacific" and "John Adams"), it's likely that "Masters Of Sex" will lean in favor of tasteful realism over shocking exploitation.
[youtube width="320" height="180"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WysSYsJ7xcs[/youtube]
Which of these dramas are you most looking forward to? Let us know by tweeting us @StageBuddy!
