Last week, I wrote about the various veteran shows across the ABC lineup. Indeed, ABC's stocked with veteran performers. The key word is performance. If a show sucks, it doesn't matter as long as it performs well. The returning lineup's boring, though. ABC's a network in love with night-time soaps. Currently, they're basically a more successful version of The CW. Instead of shows populated with good-looking people in their 20s, ABC shows are populated with good-looking people in their mid-30s and 40s. On the reality front, the network's very successful. Dancing with the Stars is a staple; ditto Extreme Makeover. Their comedy department's been revived since Modern Family's debut two years ago. I don't think the network will draw new fans in with their returning crop of shows. Body of Proof or Happy Endings might find some new fans. The veteran shows have their fanbase. Usually, fanbases decrease rather than increase at a certain point. Anyway, read on for the premiere dates of your favorite ABC shows and some thoughts on each:
BODY OF PROOF returns on Tuesday, September 20 at 10PM
Body of Proof premiered in March, aired nine episodes, and performed well enough for a second season pick-up. I thought about watching an episode in April because of guest star Christina Hendricks but went through with the thought. Dana Delaney portrays a complicated neurosurgeon who can no longer perform surgery because of an accident, so she became the chief medical examiner. Naturally, she met resentment in her new post. The character's personal life isn't a bowl of roses, either. Her and her 12 year old daughter struggle to get along and things aren't harmonious between her and her ex-husband. I gathered that her personal life often interferes with her professional life and vice-versa. Expect more of that in the second season because it’s a procedural.
CASTLE returns on Monday, September 19 at 10PM
Caste's a show with a devoted fanbase, mostly because of Nathan Fillion. Last season's sent ripples across the interweb because Castle confessed his love for Beckett; however, Beckett was shot and left for dead. The assassin who knew the details of the murder of Beckett's mother's murder presumably pulled the trigger. Fans don't know whether Beckett lives or dies. I'll take a wild stab at the answer and guess that the female lead survives. The season four premiere's titled "Rise." The more interesting aspect will be how the dynamic between Castle and Beckett shifts following Castle's confession and her near-death experience. Might they become a couple finally? Maybe I'll tune in to find out. I've never watched the show before.
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES returns on Sunday, September 25 at 9PM
Desperate Housewives has produced 157 episodes thus far. Terriers had just 13 episodes. What's the point of comparing the two shows, though, especially when the latter was cancelled nearly a year ago? I wonder what the end-game will be. Maybe the women decide to move from Wisteria Lane. I never watched an episode of the show. Every preview suggests that the women scheme and the men murder or vice-versa. Marc Cherry plans to return to the Mary Alice mystery though the mystery already had resolution. One actress worries about the show jumping the shark. It seems entirely pointless to devote the final season to something that's already been told.
GREY'S ANATOMY returns on Thursday, September 22 at 9PM
Season 8 opens with a two parter. Whenever I catch a promo of the show, the actors and actresses always have the same distressed expression on their face. Surely every episode can't have life or death consequences, right? What can possibly distress the characters for 24 episodes a season? I jest, of course. The series relies on melodrama so the acting's predictably overwrought. I have no idea what happened last season or what will happen in season eight. Is it fair to guess that there'll be dramatic medical emergencies and dramatic relationships between characters?
HAPPY ENDINGS returns on Wednesday, September 28 at 9:30PM
I considered watching the comedy when it premiered in mid-season because of Elisha Cuthbert. I think she's swell and I refuse to listen to the criticisms of 24 fans who loathed Cuthbert because the writers failed to write her a decent character. Usually, I defend writers and insult actors but not today. In the season finale, Dave made a sex tape and Alex and her sister fought. The two characters were supposed to marry, so I assume Dave's tape will have comedic ramifications on the group of friends. Megan Mullally will have a recurring role in the second season as Penny's mother. Perhaps I'll watch some Happy Endings before VanCamp's show. I'll add that the Russo brothers are producers of the show, so they've brought some talented directors for episodes.
THE MIDDLE returns on Wednesday, September 21 at 8PM
Does it matter what happened in last season's finale? Will ignorance dramatically affect someone whose never seen The Middle before but happened to tune in for Patricia Heaton and Ray Romono's sitcom reunion? I'm not among the people who will watch for Romono's appearance in the one hour season premiere. I'm just asking on behalf of interested readers.
MODERN FAMILY returns on Wednesday, September 21 at 9PM
The family plans on vacationing in the underrated state that is Wyoming. I don't know what else is in store. People love the show or they alternately hate and love the show. I wonder if the sitcom's become a showcase for the actors and actresses rather than a series with any kind of storytelling. Sepinwall complimented the season finale for having overlapping plots. What the hell kind of show is this?
PRIVATE PRACTICE returns on Thursday, September 29 at 10PM
I briefly thought of Private Practice as The Practice and soon wondered how many seasons The Practice's been on. I confused the two because of their titles. The content of both couldn't be more different. Furthermore, I haven't seen a single scene from either show. Shonda Rhimes' spin-off heads into its fifth season. Audiences love Rhimes' shows. I wonder if Combat Hospital fared well in the ratings. The main character apparently wants to have a baby in season five. Expect the week-to-week cases to remain the same with folks who present moral and ethical dilemmas for the team of doctors. Also, expect uplifting narratives that warm your heart. The design for the title screams 'heartwarming and uplifting procedural storytelling."
THE YOUTUBE CLIP OF THE WEEK
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