The Montreal Expos All-Time 25 Man Roster:

·         The Montreal Expos were introduced as an expansion team in 1969.

·         They played most of their games in Olympic Stadium which was located at Olympic Park in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district of the city.

·         They got their name from the Expo 67 World’s fair.

·         Following the 2004 season they moved to Washington DC and became the Nationals. Washington had lost both of their teams in the 1960s & 1970s.
·         They won the NL East once but that was in 1981 when the season was split into halves due to a players strike. While in 1994 they would have won the division but the players strike ended the season including the playoffs.

Batting Lineup:

1.      LF Tim Raines

2.      2B Jose Vidro

3.      CF Andre Dawson

4.      DH Vladimir Guerrero

5.      RF Larry Walker

6.      C Gary Carter

7.      1B Andres Gallagra

8.      3B Tim Wallach

9.      SS Chris Speier

Starting Rotation:

1.      Dennis Martinez

2.      Steve Rogers

3.      Javier Vazquez

4.      Jeff Fassero

5.      Carl Pavano

Bullpen:

1.      Closer: Jeff Reardon

2.      John Wetteland

3.      Ugueth Urbina

4.      Tim Burke

5.      Mel Rojas

6.      Mike Marshall

Bench:

OF-Moises Alou

OF-Marquis Grissom

INF-Orlando Cabrera

INF-Larry Parrish

C-Brian Schneider

Coaching Staff:

Manager-Felipe Alou

Felipe Alou managed the Expos for ten seasons where he finished with the most wins in with 691. He was a manager in the minor leagues for them, batting coach, and bench coach before being promoted to manager becoming the first Dominican manager in baseball history. In 1994 he managed them to the best record in the majors until the strike ended the whole season and that was the season he was named NL manager of the year. 

Bench Coach-Gene Mauch

Gene Mauch managed the Expos for seven seasons where he finished with the third most wins in their history with 499 and was the first manager of their history. During five of his seasons the Expos did not finish in last place, managing to win 70 games or more in those seasons. 

1B Coach-Buck Rogers

Buck Rogers managed the Expos for seven seasons where he finished with the second most wins with 520. He won manager of the year once, won an AAA championship and in his first six seasons the Expos averaged almost 84 wins per season. 

3B Coach-Dick Williams

Dick Williams managed the Expos for five seasons where he finished with the fifth most wins with 380. Those Expos teams in 1979-1980 won over 90 games both years the first winning seasons in franchise history and the 1979 unit won 95 games, the most that the franchise would win in Montreal but they finished second each time to the eventual World Champion. 

Hitting Coach-Frank Robinson

Frank Robinson managed the Expos (Nationals) for five seasons where he finished with the fourth most wins with 385. He only was the manager because MLB owned the team at the time and they had losing records in the five previous seasons but finished the 2002 and 2003 seasons with 83–79 records. The Expos then next slumped to a 67–95 record in 2004, their final season before relocation to DC. Robinson got his 1000th win while there, becoming the 53rd manager to reach that milestone.

Pitching Coach-Joe Kerrigan

Joe Kerrigan was on eight major league staffs while in Montreal mostly as their pitching coach from 1983-1986 & 1992-1996. He also in 1987 to 1991 was the pitching coach for three different Montreal farm teams and was a pitcher on the Expos for two years as well. 

Bullpen Coach-Pierre Arsenault 

Pierre Arsenault was a coach for the Expos mostly as the bullpen catcher for sixteen consecutive seasons and was hired as a French-language radio analyst in 1990 after just being a part batting practice pitcher before his coaching career started. 

There have been eleven Hall of Famers who have played for them at different points in their respective careers. They had four retired numbers. 

Andre Dawson spent eleven seasons in the outfield for the Expos as their greatest player/greatest outfielder/greatest center fielder where his numbers speak for themselves that got him elected into the Hall of Fame in 2010 and they retired his number 10.  He won NL rookie of the year, made three of his eight All-Star appearances, won six of his eight gold gloves, won three of his silver sluggers and led NL outfielders in putouts three times while there. He is one of eight MLB players with at least 300 home runs and 300 stolen bases during his career. He also finished in the top 10 for many offensive categories in Expos history like having the second most extra bases, RBIs, homeruns, triples, total bases, runs scored, at bats, third highest WAR for position players, third highest offensive WAR, third most hits, plate appearances, stolen bases, doubles and singles to name some. 

Gary Carter spent eleven seasons behind the plate for the Expos as their greatest/longest tenured catcher/second best player where he put up numbers that speak for themselves that got him elected him into the Hall of Fame in 2003 and they retired his number 8. He made seven of his eleven All-Star appearances, won all three of his gold gloves, won three of five silver sluggers, and led the NL in RBIs once while there plus. He also finished in the top 10 for many offensive categories in Expos history with him having the highest WAR for position players, highest WAR for defense, the second most walks, games played, second highest offensive WAR, third extra base hits, RBIs, home runs and total bases to name some. 

Tim Raines spent thirteen in the outfield for the Expos as their third best player/longest tenured outfielder/second best outfielder where he put numbers that speak for themselves that got him elected into the Hall of Fame in 2017 and they retired his number 30. He made all seven of his All-Star appearances, won the All Star game MVP once, won his only silver slugger, won the NL batting title once, led the NL in stolen bases four times, led the majors in steals twice, led the majors in runs scored twice, and led the NL in outfield assists once while there. He also finished in the top 10 for many offensive categories in Expos history with having the highest offensive WAR, most runs scored, walks, triples, stolen bases, singles, second most hits, plate appearances, batting average and second highest WAR for position players to name some. 

Vladimir Guerrero spent eight seasons in the outfield for the Expos as their best/longest tenured right fielder where he put up numbers that speak for themselves that got him elected into the Hall of Fame in 2018. He made four of his nine All-Star appearances, won three of his silver sluggers and was a part of the 30-30 club twice while there. He also finished in the top 10 for many offensive categories in Expos history like having the highest batting average, slugging percentage, on base plus slugging, most home runs and third most triples to name some. 

Larry Walker spent his six seasons in the outfield for the Expos where put up numbers that speak for themselves that got him elected into the Hall of Fame in 2020. He made one of his five All-Star appearances, won two of his seven gold gloves and won one his three silvers sluggers while there. His career SLG of .565 ranks him 12th all-time and is one of only 19 hitters in history to accomplish a .300 batting average, .400 on-base percentage, .500 SLG with at least 5,000 plate appearances, and one of six whose careers began after 1960. Considering advanced metrics, he is one of only three players in history to rank within the top 100 of each of RBIs, runs scored, and defensive runs saved; the others are Barry Bonds and Willie Mays. He also finished in the top 10 for a many offensive categories in Expos history like having the fourth highest slugging percentage, sixth highest WAR for position players and the eighth most stolen bases to name some. 

Andres Galarraga spent eight seasons for the Expos as their longest tenured/best first basemen where he made one of his All-Star appearances, won both of his gold gloves, won one of his two silver sluggers, led the NL in hits once and led the NL in doubles once. He also finished with the sixth most home runs, seventh most RBIs and the ninth most games played in Expos history.  

Tim Wallach spent thirteen seasons for the Expos as their greatest/longest tenured third basemen where he made all five of his All-Star appearances, won all three of his gold gloves and won both of his silver sluggers while there. He was named team captain prior to the 1991 season, being the first team captain in franchise history and was famous for wearing a flapless helmet being the last one to wear it. He also finished in the top 10 for many offensive categories in Expos history like having the most games played, hits, at bats, plate appearances, total bases, doubles, RBIs, extra base hits, second most singles and had the second highest defensive WAR to name some.

Chris Speier spent eight seasons for the Expos their longest tenured/best shortstop where he hit for the cycle once and finished with the fifth highest WAR for defense while there. He would go onto to coach for the team for two years and was on the 1981 divisional winning team. 

Jose Vidro spent ten seasons for the Expos history as their longest tenured/best second basemen where he made all three of his All-Star appearances and won his only silver slugger while there. He also hit over .300 for five straight years 1999-2003. He also finished in the top 10 for many offensive categories in Expos history like having the second highest batting average, second most doubles, the fifth most hits and the sixth highest offensive WAR to name some. 

Dennis Martinez pitched eight seasons for the Expos finishing as their greatest pitcher where he made three of his four All-Star appearances, led the majors in ERA once, led the majors in shutouts once, and pitched a perfect game (first Latin born pitcher) while there. He also finished in the top 10 for many pitching categories like having the second most wins, innings pitched, games started, second highest WAR for pitchers, third most shutouts, complete games and strikeouts to name some. He was the first Nicaraguan to play in the majors where he finished with the most wins for a Latin pitcher and became the seventh pitcher with at least 100 wins in both the American and National leagues in 1993. 

Steve Rogers pitched thirteen seasons for the Expos where he led the majors in ERA once, led NL in shutouts twice and made all five of his All-Star appearances while there. He also finished in the top 10 for many pitching categories in Expos history like  having the most wins, has highest WAR for pitchers, most innings pitched, strikeouts, game started, complete games and shutouts to name some. 

Javier Vazquez pitched six seasons for the Expos where he was their opening day starter for a few seasons. He also finished in the 10 for many pitching categories in Expos history like having the second most strikeouts and has the fourth highest WAR for a pitcher to name some. 

Jeff Fassero pitched six seasons for the Expos where he finished the second highest strikeouts per 9 IP in their history. 

Carl Pavano spent five seasons pitching for the Expos where he had 78 starts and had a record of 24–35 and an ERA of 4.83 while there. Other notable starter in Expos history have been Livan Hernandez, Bill Stoneman, Scott Sanderson, Hall of Famers Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez. 

Moises Alou spent six seasons for the Expos in the outfield where he made one of his six All-Star appearances, won one of his silver sluggers and played under his father Felipe who was his manager for his whole time there. He also finished with the third highest slugging percentage, sixth highest batting average and the fifth highest on base plus slugging in Expos history. 

Marquis Grissom spent six seasons in centerfield for the Expos where he made both of his All-Star appearances, won two of his four gold gloves and led the NL in stolen bases twice while there. He caught the final out of Dennis Martinez’s perfect game and was their first base coach for one season He also finished with the second most stolen bases and has the seventh highest WAR for position players in Expos history. Other notable outfielders in Expos history have been Rondell White, Ken Singleton, Ellis Valentine and Rusty Staub. 

Larry Parrish spent eight seasons for the Expos as their second greatest/second longest third basemen where he where he made one of his two All-Star appearances and is the only Expos player to ever hit three home runs in one game on three separate occasions while there. He also finished with the seventh most extra base hits, eight most games played and has the tenth most triples in Expos history.

Orlando Cabrera spent seven seasons for the Expos as their second greatest shortstop where he won one of his two gold gloves and hit the most homeruns for a shortstop in a season in their history with 17 while there. He also finished with sixth highest defensive WAR and the eight most doubles in Expos history. Other notable infielders in Expos history were Hubie Brooks, Mike Lansing, Ron Hunt, Delino DeShields, Ron Fairly, Bob Bailey, Al Oliver and Hall of Famer Tony Perez. 

Brian Schneider spent seven seasons behind the plate for the Expos as their second longest/second best catcher where he led the league or NL a few times in having the highest percentage of throwing out runners and finished with the seventh best WAR for defense in their history. Another notable catcher in Expos history was Darrin Fletcher.

Jeff Reardon was the Expos closer for six seasons where he made two of his four All-Star appearances, led the NL in saves once and was the NL reliever of year once while there. He also finished with the most saves, most games finished, the second lowest ERA and appeared in the fourth most games in Expos history. 

John Wetteland was the Expos closer for three seasons where he made one of his three All-Star appearances and their pitching coach for one season. He also finished with the fourth most saves and has the sixth most games finished in Expos history.  

Ugueth Urbina was the Expos closer for seven seasons where he led the NL in saves once and made one his two All-Star appearances while there. He also finished with second most saves, third most games finished and has the fifth most games played in Expos history. 

Tim Burke was the Expos closer for seven seasons where he made his only All Star appearance while there. He also finished with the lowest ERA, most games played, second most games finished, third best win-loss percentage and he fifth most saves in Expos history. 

Mel Rojas was the Expos closer for seven and half seasons where he finished with the third most saves, games played, fourth most games finished, fifth most strikeouts per 9 IP and has the sixth lowest ERA in Expos history. 

Mike Marshall was the Expos closer for four seasons where he led the NL in saves once, finished with the fifth most games finished and has the sixth most saves in Expos history. Other notable relievers for the Expos (Nationals) were Chad Cordero and Jeff Shaw.

Broadcast Spring 2020 TV Review:

CBS:

FBI Most Wanted: It is a spinoff of Dick Wolf’s FBI that specifically focuses on the Fugitive Task Force, which relentlessly tracks and captures the notorious criminals on the Bureau's Most Wanted list. Seasoned agent Jess Lacroix (played by Julian McMahon of Charmed & Profiler) oversees the highly skilled team that functions as a mobile undercover unit that is always out in the field, pursuing those who are most desperate to elude justice. 

Verdict: Renewed. It is a very straight to the point procedural show about taking down the bad guys but these are the bad guys who are fugitives of the law and are on the most wanted list. I was surprised that during the 1^st season of “FBI” it was decided they would do a backdoor pilot, and that CBS rushed to green light it right away for a show the following TV season despite it not being super popular show. I do like “FBI” but it is more because of the main characters in the show than the actual plots itself. Both shows have same feeling and tone about to it where it is always about just taking down the bad guy with minimal person stuff getting in the way. The only real personal stuff going on in the show is the head of the team who is raising his daughter by himself because his wife is missing in action overseas but it has been very minimal. Kellan Lutz is the only actor with any acting credits you may have heard of like Twilight, Tarzan and Hercules. I know why it was green lit right away because Dick Wolf has maxed out all he can on NBC with the Law & Order franchise & the Chicago shows so he is trying to make another empire on CBS, but that is ok. We need new material and shows not remakes/reboots; yes this is another spinoff but like his other shows it is usually a straight forward procedural that take down the bad guys. I have a funny feeling that CBS will renew this because Dick Wolf made it. But so far like the other show it has not done anything to make me think it should be cancelled or that is a bad program, just another procedural show to add to the schedule that is worthwhile. 

Tommy: Edie Falco(of OZ & Nurse Jackie) stars as Abigail "Tommy" Thomas is a former high-ranking NYPD officer becomes the first female police chief of Los Angeles who has to use her unflinching honesty and hardball tactics to keep social, political and national security issues from hindering effective law enforcement in the Southland. Her decisions while being chief will ultimately impact not just her life but the future of women being high ranking officials in the police department for generations to come after her. 

Verdict: Cancelled. Falco is a great actress no matter what type of show it is but even she can’t save this show which is disappointing because I was hoping she could carry this show as I am a fan of hers like many are. They give her character all of these accolades like being the youngest in history of NYPD to pass captain’s exam, youngest to precinct command but they made her the stereotypical woman cop who is lesbian, divorced after being married to a man and have it not just be about her gender but also about her sexuality. We should only care about her accomplishments not about her sex life or focus too much about her life outside of her work like her conveniently moving to the city where her estranged daughter and ex-husband live.  It is eerily too similar to another show that debuted this year where a woman is a police chief who finds a girl/helps a girl by taking her into her own home. Her ex-husband is in the show where their daughter is bi-racial that also plays a big part into the show’s drama as well. This show’s premise has nothing to do with the girl she takes into the home but still nonetheless seems like it’s copying it because the daughter and ex-husband aspect of the show. Being the chief of police of a small town in Long Island New York is on a smaller scale, this show is in Los Angeles where there is more to work with and is a bigger deal. The interesting thing is they are filming the show in NYC while trying to make it look like LA so I don’t know how that is going to work overtime but still interesting. It is not going to stick around with the other procedural shows on CBS like NCIS’, FBIs, Blood Bloods and the remakes because the show is all over the place as it does not know if it is a cop show or a show about politics or not and is too progressive for the audiences who watch those other procedural shows. It is also annoying that every time she tries to fix/change the system from within the former police chief, major and the deputy mayor are trying to set her up to fail so that it shows women do not deserve to be chief of police. It just feels like it will not go anywhere if she keeps getting derailed every time she tries to handle any situations if others in power are preventing her from making change for the better. Also it is creepy that the deputy mayor looks like a spitting image for the guy from Papa John’s. I do like two of the supporting cast members her personal security detail/driver and the lawyer who writes her speeches, the rest don’t do much for me. 

Broke: Jackie (played by Pauley Perrette of NCIS) a single mom is shocked when her sister, Elizabeth (played by Natasha Leggero of Ugly Americans), who she hasn’t seen in five years, her outrageously rich husband, Javier (played by Jaime Camil of Jane of the Virgn) and Javier’s assistant Luis, land on her doorstep in need of a place to live after their money dries up in Javier’s trust fund and his rich father cuts him off to teach him a lesson. Jackie’s relationship with her sister will be tested by putting up with three people living in her home and how they can all co-exist in such a small house on one person’s salary. 

Verdict: Cancelled. The premise has been done before many times about a relative going broke and moving in with a family member who is far worse off like NBC just did this same TV schedule in “Indebted”. Perrette is an esteemed actress from her previous show but even she cannot save this horribly written show and horribly casted actors. She and her sister don’t seem believable as siblings and the whole idea of not having seeing Perrette/her son in how every many years does not line up with the current age of the kid. There is also no need for the butler/driver/assistant if he is being paid by Javier’s father it does not really teach anyone a lesson if you have a butler. If Javier has such a close relationship with him why doesn’t he live there? Plus they have to throw it in that Javier is the only person who accepts his assistant because he is gay. We do not care nor do we need his character despite him being the best character in the show so it is all over the place. Her sister has no redeeming qualities like she could never have been poor/raised by same mom/has no job skills and her brother in law is so stupid it is not funny it is sad. The whole show seems to be taken over by the former rich couple’s antics when it is supposed to be about Jackie being a single mom raising her gifted but misunderstood son who is the only really redeeming character. The show seems to forget who the main character is in the show so it is a waste of Perrette’s time and effort as I see this show being removed from the lineup quickly. 

NBC: 

Council of Dads: Scott Perry a married man with five kids knows that his cancer will most likely take his life so he reveals to his wife Robin (played by Sarah Wayne Callies of Prison Break & Walking Dead) and kids a plan called a “Council of Dads” that will be there for the family if he passes away so they can help the kids grow up. These three men Anthony (played by Clive Standen of Taken & Vikings), Larry (played by Michael O’Neill of West Wing & Rectify) and Olive (played by J August Richards of Agents of Shield & Angel) find redemption and purpose in their new roles as backup dads to Luly, Theo, JJ and newborn Hope. They also discover that they need the Perry family as much as the Perry family needs them. 

Verdict: Cancelled.  It does what it is supposed to do which is tug at the emotional hearts strings like NBC’s most popular show “This Is Us” but fails in the great storytelling and the characters you get behind that you need to get connected to this sad and emotional story. The main characters who play the “Council” are very well casted and they are really enjoyable in their roles as I am familiar/liked them in previous roles as this is one of the only positives in the show. I like the premise and where the show can go but it’s all over the place which is taking away from the goodness and emotional bond you can get with a show like this which is what their goal is to get you to care about the family but it fails to grab you emotionally like other shows. “This Is Us” tells a story over different time periods (past-present-future-different times in the past) gracefully but this one is just going through the motions in the present which is what a lot of shows do but doesn’t really build up any connection to the family. They throw a lot at you with each and every kid but don’t help you fully understand how the family formed and they throw too many questions at you that are still lingering. We know ahead of time the premise that the father passes away unlike the other show where it builds up to it even if we can suspect that it will happen eventually. It is also stealing the idea of other men/parents helping raise/helping the widow of the main character who tragically passes away like in ABC’s “A Million Little Things” where three guys who are married/single who help out the family of their friend who has a few kids/a baby on the way. Everyone is trying to recreate the magic of “This Is Us” in telling a heartfelt emotional story about a family coming together over tragedy but only ABC’s “A Million Little Things” has successfully captured that magic. NBC has failed in trying to recapture that magic before like last spring with “The Village” in trying to tell the story of how everyone is connected who live in this one loft that it was too much going on with so many coincidences that it was too forced in telling a story. It did touch on the emotional heart strings but it was flawed and it had bad storytelling. We need to stop trying to recreate something that has already been done so well by your own network already or a rival network who just copied you in the first place by actually coming up with your own original ideas because if it ain’t broke don’t try to fix it or try to recreate it. 

Indebted: Young parents Dave (played by Adam Pally of Making History & the Mindy Project) and Rebecca (played by Abby Elliott of SNL & Odd Mom out) are ready to reclaim their life after years of diapers and sleepless nights. However, things take an unexpected turn when Dave's parents show up unannounced and broke after having mismanaged their former wealth, especially after his mom(played by Fran Drescher of the Nanny & the Hotel Transylvania trilogy) needed knee surgery without insurance following a spin class accident. Dave realizes he has no choice but to open the door to the people who gave him everything. But these boomerang parents aren't great with boundaries, and the question of whose parenting whom quickly becomes blurred. 

Verdict: Cancelled. It is hard to tell if it is a laugh track or real people laughing but I can say for myself I did laugh a few times an episode but not when the laughing was played so that’s an issue. The premise is about them raising kids and dealing with their parents but the kids are barely in the scenes and the daughter has seemed to disappear as well. They do make the sister an important character but it does not help the plot of each episode as I do not care about her problems or why the parents do not stay with her instead of David. They also made her lesbian like that is supposed to help with the premise of the show or character building but it doesn’t help or hurt just not needed. If you did not like how your childhood went in terms of how your parents raised you it will trigger those memories as well because they reveal things they did when raising David that are funny but horrible too, so it conflicts you if you can laugh or not. It is a clever idea with a good cast of actors that also includes Steven Weber of (Wings) that make it believable when watching it but the writing is not great and lines seemed forced as well. I do not want to keep seeing Drescher’s cleavage and the parents “screw up” in the first episode was so inappropriate I don’t get how it got on TV.  If  every episode is how the parents “screw up “ with their finances  how are they ever going to fix it and how long can you keep a sitcom going,  if that’s the main aspect. They do show how they parent as well but it gets pushed to the side by their parents so that is annoying. I am happy to see Pally lead another sitcom even if he is not believable as a sitcom dad, but it doesn’t feel like the writing and premise can really go farther than one season at most with this failing narrative every week sorry Drescher you too can’t save it. 

Lincoln Rhyme Hunt for the Bone collector: Inspired by the best-selling book "The Bone Collector” former NYPD detective and forensic genius Lincoln Rhyme (played by Russell Hornsby of Lincoln Heights & Grimm) was at the top of his game until a serious accident at the hands of a notorious serial killer forced him out of the field. Three years later NYPD officer Amelia Sachs (played by Arielle Kebbel of Midnight Texas & Ballers) who has a gift for profiling, finds herself hot on the killer's trail after a series of murders that suggest the killer from Rhyme’s past has returned. The unlikely duo join forces to crack the city's most confounding cases but they must also race to take down the enigmatic killer “The Bone Collector” who brought them together. 

Verdict: Cancelled. I like different kinds of procedural shows and I like the casting for this show like the leads and the supporting cast. I do like that he is like a savant of forensics and landscape of the city around him like a modern day Sherlock Holmes that has a photographic memory. I like the team Rhyme works with as they all have previous acting work that I am familiar, with similar former shows on NBC.  For example, his former partner is played by Michael Imperioli (of Sopranos & Law & Order) who is great at playing cops. I also like that they solve a different murder case every week instead of focusing on the same plot or killer which some shows get wrapped up in. They still do focus on the “Bone Collector” but that’s what brought the two main characters together and that is the ultimate goal, to take him down. That between Rhyme’s brain and experience paired with Sachs eyes/ears/arms/legs/grit, plus each and every member of the team it’s a great combination to taking down other murders. The issue I have is NBC does not have the history of renewing high concept shows that sometimes can go over the average person’s head like “The in Between” or they don’t renew many procedural shows  like “The Enemy Within” unless it is from Dick Wolf. Another issue is it falls under the blanket of “remake/reboot/spinoff land” as it has been a movie before with Denzel Washington so it’s not that original just intriguing. It also has too much of Sachs checking in on her sister when it’s not needed and caring about Rhyme’s family that moved away. 

Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist: After an unusual trip for an MRI during an earthquake, computer coder Zoey Clarke (played by Jane Levy of Suburgatory & Shameless) magically begins to hear people's innermost wants and desires through popular songs. Suddenly, strangers, friends, co-workers and family are unknowingly singing their feelings just to her. At first, Zoey questions her own sanity, but after some guidance from Mo, her musically attuned neighbor, and making a breakthrough with her ailing father (played by Peter Gallagher of the OC & Law & Order SVU) Zoey soon realizes this unwanted curse may just be an amazing and wonderful gift as she now connects with the world like never before. 

Verdict: Renewed. NBC has too many depressing or procedural shows that clog their airwaves so having an uplifting show is a positive. Zoey’s new power is for her to help others get through their problems which is nice to see a show with good morals of wanting to help people. Also it helps her get closer to her father and is even maybe improving his physical health as well. I am now emotionally attached to this show as well. I also like that the supporting case is also excellent with Mary Steenburgen playing Zoey’s mom, Lauren Graham playing her boss and Skyler Austin playing her best friend/coworker. Austin is actually one of the show’s main characters/strangers who actually can sing from his days of “Pitch Perfect it’s not that everyone cannot sing they all can carry a tune just not everyone should sing that is one issue I have with this show. I am hoping NBC realizes that having an uplifting, original idea and a great cast it will actually renew a show that isn’t in the mold of procedural dramas just like “Law & Order SVU” or a little too sad dramas like “This is Us.” All the huge musical dance numbers might get annoying and I was reluctant to liking this show that has too many musical routines that happen throughout the episode but it grew on me because it is nice to have a moment down memory lane when you hear popular songs you always liked, but sometimes forget about. The neighbor Mo’s life/gender/sexuality is not needed as well but NBC wants to be progressive if this tech company is full of straight men and no one in the LGBT community but it is also wrong to have a token person as well. Just focus on this person helping Zoey that is all. Hopefully they improve the writing in the show as it sometimes was a filler in-between the musical numbers and don’t try to ship Max with Zoey you have a male best friend as a girl. 

ABC:

Baker & The Beauty: Daniel Garcia is a part of a loving Cuban family who owns a bakery that he works in and does everything his family wants him to do like living at home until he is married but his life changes after one wild night in Miami that was unexpected. After his relationship of four years goes south he meets a woman name Noa Hollander who is an international superstar, daughter of a real estate magnate and a model who just got out of a high profile Hollywood relationship. Sparks fly between them and they have to decide if this relationship is going to work despite the different cultures their families are. It is based on the Israeli show that ranks as the one of the highest-rated scripted series ever in Israel. 
Verdict: Cancelled. It is a very cute premise of a person from a lower income family falling for someone from a rich and famous life with the complications that come from it but it seems too far fetched. Yes TV shows are not real but it gets too bogged down with melodrama/soap opera that takes away from the actual romantic story. ABC already last year tried this idea of doing a remake of a soap opera/drama from another country and making it take place in America with Grand Hotel last summer. It was a Spanish soap opera with a guy falling for a women from a different world as well but that show was doomed from the start and so is this show. There is too much going on with the main character’s brother being the failure of the family with his side ventures, their hinting at the younger sister being lesbian and the crazy-ex girlfriend trying to get back with Daniel that waste time in telling the story. We do not care about his ex, her ex and dumb side stories of the family even if he comes from a great loving family. The only actors in the show that have any redeeming qualities are the parents who are played by Lisa Vidal (Of the Division & Third Watch) and Carlos Gomez (Of ER & NCIS: New Orleans). The show can only go two ways they drag their relationship on over a few seasons where they get married or it ends in disaster as he crashes back to reality. The premise of the original one has a much better appeal and has a better redeeming quality to it as it takes an approach to Jewish ethnic divisions between Ashkenazi Jews and Sephardic Jews that there was no need to remake it if it was already good and successful. Lastly most shows that debut in April have a hard time being renewed and if they have failed at remaking a show that has similar tones I see this having the same fate. 

For Life: Inspired by the life of Isaac Wright Jr. this legal drama is about Aaron Wallace (played by Nicholas Pinnock of Criminal UK & Marcella) who has been sentenced to life in prison for a crime he did not commit. While incarcerated he becomes a lawyer and works as a defense attorney for others while striving to get his own sentence overturned. His quest for freedom is driven by his desperate desire to get back to the family he loves and reclaim the life that was stolen from him. He has to deal with a progressive female prison warden who helps shine a light on the flaws and challenges in the U.S. penal and legal systems. He also deals with the DA’s office that put him away trying to undercut him in court and that he is running for attorney general which would put all of his hard work to an end. 

Verdict: Cancelled. Due to ABC’s track record with shows about the law they have cancelled them either in season one or when it got renewed it was more of a surprise that it was renewed and got cancelled after two seasons which was “For the People”. Also ABC had done a show about overturning convictions later on with a group of people working on the case not just one man which was the show “Conviction” that only got one season. Fox just last TV year had a show called “Proven Innocent” where a girl and her brother are wrongfully convicted by the district attorney, and while in person she studies to become a lawyer with of course help by another lawyer. She and her bother eventually get out of prison and she starts to represent people in prison who need help overturning their own convictions, like she did for her and brother but that also only got one season. There has only been one show in the past five-eight years about the law that has gotten more than two seasons/full seasons which is Bull on CBS, which has been on the air for four seasons and even that show isn’t a prototypical show about the law. In this show they cannot come up with an enough material for a whole hour that we need to see that his daughter is pregnant, his daughter’s boyfriend is involved and his wife is living with his ex-best friend. They also show the warden’s home life as well that shows she is married to a woman and has kids that her wife is running for the same post as the man who put Aaron away. Just show him helping his fellow inmates get out of prison we don’t need all this extra drama. It seems like every time he gets an inch closer to helping himself he gets pushed two steps back by the ADA and the DA, that I don’t see how far you can push this story if it’s based off a true story. Yes the warden helps him out on all of this but everyone is always looking out for themselves in a prison dynamic. We also all know he eventually gets out of prison but it seems like a better idea for a movie than a long running TV show unless you say it is a miniseries. 

CW:

Katy Keene: From the creators of “Riverdale” comes a spinoff that takes place five years after the events of the former about a group of four friends/roommates who are aspiring artists who want to take on the runway, the recording studio, Broadway and the New York social scene as they find more than just a career in the big city they find long-lasting friendship. Katy Keene(played by Lucy Hale of Pretty Little Liars & Life sentence) is the main character an aspiring clothing designer, Josie is the girl from Riverdale formerly of Josie & Pussycats going out on her own to make her music career, Jorge wants to make it on Broadway and Pepper Smith wants to open her own version of Andy Warhol's Factory. 

Verdict: Renewed. When a network gives a show an additional thirteen episodes before the season has even started, it’s a good sign. And the fact that the CW has been renewal happy with other shows even before the season has started or ended is a good sign as well. It also is a direct spinoff from the world of Archie Comics unlike Nancy Drew (CW) and Chilling adventures of Sabrina (Netflix) so the creators want to keep building the world of Archie as much as possible. They want this universe to rival that of the Arrow verse and the only way to do that is to renew and keep creating more shows. I like that this show has more of a laidback and fun tone unlike its predecessor Riverdale where it seems very somber and serious all the time. They can just let loose and have fun by not taking things so seriously with this show as it has a livelier feel to it. They both have the similar structures as one character is narrating the show but this time it is the lead. It is really a spin off as Josie is from Riverdale, and Katy is Veronica’s old friend from when she lived in NYC. Teen drama is afloat but they are adults so it is more like adult drama, as it is more serious than its predecessor where they are trying to make it in life not worrying about minor high school things. It is hard to replicate the success of Riverdale & Nancy Drew because those shows reel you in with it being an investigative type of show that blends teen drama together so well. While this is more of a party/friends type of  show but it doesn’t take away from the creators that are venturing out in putting together something different, which they should get credit for. One negative that does jump out is they put the LGBTQ world right in your face and if that is not your thing to see on TV then I wouldn’t suggest this show for you even if you watch the other shows in the Archie world. 

Fox:

The Deputy: Stephen Dorff(of True Detective & Star) stars as Bill Hollister a fifth-generation lawman who is only interested in justice but when the elected sheriff dies, an arcane rule in the county charter, forged back in the Wild West, suddenly makes him the successor as the Sheriff of the Los Angeles. It is met with lots of criticism from the deputies who make up the bureaucratic board for other deputies and other officials who were voted onto the board, and due to his issues with staying in the lines and refusing to follow police procedure. His goal while being sheriff is make as much change as possible for the good of the people he swore to protect but has to deal with the politics of the job that get in the way of making those changes. He also will have to learn how to balance being in the office doing sheriff things and while still taking down bad guys. He also has to deal with having a personal security detail that watches his every move when he becomes sheriff by a former member of the pentagon who has been working as deputy. In the end he intends to restore what he believes is a lost sense of honor and duty among his officers as he leads a skilled team of ambitious and complicated human beings who won’t rest until justice is served. 

Verdict: Renewed. There have been many procedural cop/law enforcement/government agencies types of show and many that have taken place in LA like NCIS LA, Swat, Chips, Columbo, and MacGyver to name some but how many have been about the Sheriff’s Department? The answer is two but one is the sitcom “The Andy Griffith show” and other is Marshall Dillon the main character of “Gunsmoke”. It is a refreshing idea to make it about the Sheriff & his deputies not about detectives or beat cops, and Dorff has experience in playing a cop before so he makes it look so natural that he can play a law enforcement officer also. It will also be interesting to see how far they can push the story line of actual changes in the department and how he will continue to butt heads with the undersheriff London(played by Mark Moses of Mad Men) who does not like him or like that he is the sheriff. Like many dramas there are other backstories that happen throughout the episodes like his wife being the head chief trauma surgeon at the hospital where he keeps winding up. He still keeps winding up with bumps/bruises/gunshot wounds which causes friction between them as he should maintain a balance between office and the center of the action. Other interesting plotlines are his former partner who died in the line of duty who has a son is who is a new recruit on the force and is also Billy’s godson. Also his relationship with Deputy Bishop (Played by Bex Taylor-Kraus of Arrow) whose job is stick to him like glue to make sure he does all of his responsibilities as sheriff and keep him out of trouble. It will be interesting to see how that relationship grows overtime as they start to trust each other and find a balance of how to fix the system from within but also keep him from making things worse if he doesn’t perform all of his responsibilities. Only issue is what Billy says in the show as well as she looks way too young to have worked in the pentagon/have such an important position with the sheriff’s office but she is good actress especially if you watched her in Arrow. You can’t judge a book by its cover in this role as well. I also like that they highlight and use one person from his old crew for action scenes in Deputy Ward who has an ex-military background. In the end all we want is a well written, acted and put together show about taking down the bad guys while hopefully changing the system because if we have to keep seeing more NCIS and Law & Order shows stay on the air forever why can’t we have this show stay on a few years? “All it takes to do the job is a gun, a badge and what’s in your heart”.

9-1-1 Lone Star: Rob Lowe stars as Owen Strand a New York firefighter who was a first responder on 9/11 who lost his entire firehouse in New York after the 9/11 attacks. He is recruited to be the fire captain in Austin Texas after a firehouse lost their entire facility during a disaster. He relocates along with his son TK who is also a firefighter and a recovering addict (interesting dynamic to have your son a part of your crew). The main reason he was recruited was because he rebuilt a whole entire firehouse from scratch after 9/11, and they think that he can do the same in Austin. He must also cast a wider net on the hiring unlike other firehouses in Austin, since he as an outsider he can make harsh decisions without any emotional attachment. Strand also has to deal with the EMS captain Blake (played by Live Tyler) who has her own issues as well. In the end he has to try to balance the duties of saving those who are at their most vulnerable and solving the problems in his own life. 

Verdict: Renewed. Fox has decided to build on the huge success of its predecessor “9-1-1” which was so popular that they renewed it right away due its instant success and is currently going strong in season 3. I feel confident that FOX will renew this show to have their own procedural/saving the day world of shows like NBC has with Dick Wolf’s Law & Order & Chicago world of shows. There is nothing wrong with building on the success of one show with a spinoff if they do it right because a few of Wolf’s spinoffs haven’t done well but for the most part they follow the correct way of doing the show, without ruining the franchise. They still are keeping the same format, theme and tone to the show when writing it where they deal with all 9-1-1 calls no matter how small or odd they are with the first responders from the firehouse/EMS or the cops. It does not have the same high stake pressure of its predecessor which is based in Los Angeles but they still make it very interesting with the calls they take. It is based in Austin, Texas so it has a little bit of a small/tight knit community feel to it where everyone knows you.  Like the predecessor they do dive into everyone’s social life and life struggles like “post-traumatic stress disorder, cancer and addiction struggles” which sometimes bogs down the episodes, but as it gets it’s footing to introduce each every character it will blend into the background like it did for the other show. The other show grew on you even with the drama because of the good acting led by Peter Krause and Angel Bassett plus the other cast members. That they become like a family where you get emotional about each character if they are going to survive each call so the same will go for this cast of people. I do like the supporting cast in this show as well because of the familiarity with some of them from their previous work so it helps in getting connected to their characters like the predecessor. Lowe also is an executive producer so I feel he will make sure that they don’t do the predecessor any injustice with the making of this show, plus he has the ability to lead this show where it supposed to be like Krause does for 9-1-1.

Outmatched: For most parents parenting is hard but for parents Kay(played by Maggie Lawson of Psych & Lethal Weapon) a casino pit boss(Atlantic City) & Mike(played by Jason Biggs of American Pie & Orange is the new black) a contractor they are blue collar people trying to raise four kids, three of whom are certified geniuses. They must deal with the demands and egos of three high-IQ children without leaving out the fourth child which is especially hazardous for two working stiffs who barely got through high school. Mike and Kay are committed to bringing some normalcy to their kids' hectic, unconventional childhoods, but these geniuses don't make it easy. They also get help from their friends and family as Tisha Campbell and Tony Danza also star. 

Verdict: Cancelled. It has an interesting premise to the show with some good acting from the kid actors but it doesn’t click like other sitcoms do when watching it. Biggs & Lawson are good actors they just don’t have the feel of leads in a show or even being believable parents in Biggs case. I do not like the laugh track or how the kids seem to be obnoxious/shallow plus they have no social skills and don’t have any real knowledge that would make them geniuses. Which means the writing for the kids is not great. They use Campbell as the stereotypical rowdy black female friend who gives advice/is bossy towards others around her plus her husband is main character’s best friend where all he does is smile and have the “I am good looking vibe with nothing to offer”. They should have different friends who are not married to each other or show their friends more often like Campbell outside of work. Fox also does not have a recent track record of renewing live action shows when they recently didn’t renew “Cool Kids” or they pulled “Rel” from the air quickly. Plus before they revived “Last Man Standing” they had gone out of their way to cancel every live action sitcom as well. Even if the writing improves on the show and maybe Danza appears more I don’t have faith in Fox renewing it due to their track record even with better quality sitcoms. 

Duncanville: Duncanville centers on the life of Duncan Harris, an average 15-year-old boy, who is always one step away from making a bad decision. He can see adulthood on the horizon: money, freedom, cars and girls; but the reality is more like: always being broke, driving with one's mom sitting shotgun and babysitting one's sister. He's not exceptional, but he has a wild imagination in which he's never anything less than amazing. Duncan lives with his mom, a parking enforcement officer, who dreams of being a detective someday, always has to watch Duncan and his dad a plumber, who tries to be a better father figure to Duncan than his father was to him. He has two sisters one named Kimberly a normal teenager going through normal teen-phases and the other is an adopted sister named Jing, who is an intelligent 5-year-old who always giving Duncan advice. Verdict: Renewed. It will be history for Fox by renewing not just one animated half-hour sitcom but two this TV season after they officially renewed “Bless the Harts and this show. It has been almost a decade since they renewed an animated half-hour sitcom for more than one season and it has been because most of those shows have been crap. What makes this show different is that it centered on the oldest son not the idiot father like Family Guy, Simpsons or Bob’s Burgers to name some that the premise is a good one. It shows the struggles of a teenage boy in the animated world and so far the writing has been funny and clever. The voice cast is also very good in that Amy Poehler who also co-created the show voices both the boy and the mom plus Ty Burell voices the dad. Other notable voices are Rashida Jones and the rapper Wiz Khalifa. I think Poehler has found her niche in TV making and that is making a funny relatable animated sitcom not a live action sitcom. I also like Duncan’s friend group they all seem interesting to get know on this show plus I love how the dad loves Rock N Roll has all this memorabilia in his garage. They got Alice Cooper to play himself in one of the episodes which was awesome. I think Fox needs to reclaim its throne of having all the good adult animated sitcoms like back in the days to truly be Animation Domination and have two & half hours of animated content on Sundays.