ABC
BODY OF PROOF
Created By Chris Murphy
What Season? 3
Premiere Date: Tuesday, February 5 at 10PM
Thoughts: Body of Proof wasn't cancelled, eh?
ZERO HOUR
Created By Paul T. Scheuring
Premiere Date: Thursday, February 14 at 9PM
Premise: (from ABC's press release, December 2012) New thriller "Zero Hour" stars Anthony Edwards ("ER") in his return to series television. Edwards' character, Hank Galliston, has spent his life debunking myths, only to be drawn into one of the most compelling mysteries in human history after his wife's shocking disappearance.
Thoughts: "From the Executive Producers of Transformers and G.I. Joe" appears out of nowhere in the Zero Hour trailer, which basically says, 'This is going to be a nonsense show.' Zero Hour is the kind of mystery show ABC loves--it's like a more high concept Missing. The mystery in Zero Hour spans centuries, involves stereotypical European terrorists, and the disappearance of a man's wife. Plus, a priest remarks, in amazement, "This is from the Clandestine Age." The trailer's really unclear. The search for Hank's wife will span continents and countries, take him into Nazi history, and the worst parts of Eastern Europe. TV executives have a habit of falling hard for movie premises when sorting through series pitches. Zero Hour seems like a mediocre ninety minute action-thriller that'll never be able to sustain the tension of the mystery for thirteen episodes.
Chance of Weekly Review: 0%
RED WIDOW
Created By Melissa Rosenberg
Premiere Date: Sunday, March 3 at 10PM
Premise: (from ABC's press release, December 2012) "Red Widow," from "Twilight Saga" films writer Melissa Rosenberg and starring Radha Mitchell, is a riveting new drama about one woman's journey into the world of organized crime, and how far she will go to keep her family safe.
Thoughts: Like Zero Hour, Red Widow's trailer is blandly vague and includes "From the screenwriter of the Twilight Series" as if that'll get people to watch. Rosenberg wrote for Dexter during its strongest seasons. Highlight that and not the Twilight series (this is why I'll never get hired as a network marketing head). Red Widow's another series with a premise that's great for the movies. Radha Mitchell wants to keep her family safe and avenge her husband's death. I wouldn't be interested in 110 minute movie of this, let alone a television series.
Chance of Weekly Review: 0%
THE CW
THE CARRIE DIARIES
Created By Amy B. Harris
Premiere Date: Monday, January 14 at 8PM
Premise: (from The CW's press release, November 2012) THE CARRIE DIARIES takes place in 1984, where life is not easy for 16-year-old Carrie Bradshaw. Since their mother passed away, Carrie's younger sister Dorritt is more rebellious than ever, and their father Tom is overwhelmed with the responsibility of suddenly having to care for two teenage girls on his own. Carrie's friends - sweet, geeky Mouse, sarcastic and self-assured Maggie and sensitive Walt - make life bearable, but a suburban life in Connecticut isn't doing much to take her mind off her troubles. And even though the arrival of a sexy new transfer student named Sebastian brings some excitement to Carrie's world, she is struggling to move on from her grief. So when Tom offers Carrie the chance to intern at a law firm in Manhattan, she leaps at the chance. Carrie's eyes are opened wide at the glamour and grit of New York City - and when she meets Larissa, the style editor for Interview magazine, she's inspired by the club culture and unique individuals that make up Larissa's world. Carrie's friends and family may have a big place in her heart, but she's fallen in love for the first time with the most important man in her life - Manhattan.
Thoughts: The Carrie Diaries is a prequel to HBO's Sex And The City. Carrie Bradshaw, as I'm sure you've read above, is a 16 year old girl going through significant changes. The best change is her internship in Manhattan. The series seems good, if you're a fan of SATC. It should be fun to see how Carrie met her best gal pals and became the woman introduced in the "Pilot" of SATC. The 80s setting allows for an outrageous display of the fashion. Three girls who stare at Carrie her first day back after her mother's death look like extras in a Cyndi Lauper video. The series should be fun and light.
Chance of Weekly Review: 0%
CULT
Created By Rockne S. O'Bannon
Premiere Date: Tuesday, February 19 at 9PM
Premise: (from The CW's press release, December 2012) Investigative journalist Jeff Sefton has learned to laugh off his younger brother Nate's relentless string of obsessions, especially his latest rant that a hit TV show intends to harm him. However, when his brother mysteriously disappears, Jeff takes Nate's paranoia seriously, and in the process uncovers the dark underworld of the TV series "Cult" and its rabid fans, who are obsessed with the show's charismatic cult leader, Billy Grimm. As the show's gruesome plot twists begin to play out in the real world, Jeff enlists the help of a young research assistant Skye in a race to save Nate and unravel the mystery behind the TV series whose hardcore fans would literally kill to see what happens next...
Thoughts: Cult is intriguing and could be a great exploration of society's relationship with television. Let's just hope it's a thought-provoking and entertaining TV show. One aspect of The WB the CW retained is the ability to develop and launch pretty good genre shows. What may look like a one-note story becomes a deeply thought-out universe, populated by interesting and relatable characters; bonds between the lead and whoever joins him or her becomes the emotional center of the show, a bond that transcends the initial emotional center of the show. In Cult, it's the disappearance of Jeff's brother. Cult, in ways, reminds me of a late 90s horror-thriller--like a slightly different Disturbing Behavior. I've looked forward to Cult since early 2012 when I first heard about it.
Chance of Weekly Review: 78%
Tomorrow: Cable/Premium New and Returning Shows
THE YOUTUBE CLIP OF THE WEEK
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