Broadcast Fall 2022 TV Review:

 CBS:

Fire Country: Bode Donovan(played by Max Theriot of Seal Team & Bates Motel), a young convict seeking redemption, joins an unconventional prison release firefighting program in Northern California, where he and other inmates are partnered with elite firefighters to extinguish massive, unpredictable wildfires. The heat is turned up when Bode is assigned to the program in his rural hometown, where he was once a golden all-American son until his troubles began. Five years ago, Bode burned down everything in his life, leaving town with a big secret. Now he's back, with the rap sheet of a criminal and the audacity to believe in a chance for redemption. 

Verdict: Renewed. I give Theriot lots of credit for creating this show while co-starring on “Seal Team” already besides starting/producing this show because most actors would just coast when being on a successful show. It is based on him growing up in the same area where these fires happen. The writing of this show has been great as there has been the usual amount of drama in a one hour show but since it’s the start of the series they need to establish back-story of the main character and the supporting actors. They also did a great job in casting the supporting cast with Billy Burke(Twilight & Revolution) as a fire chief as he was just on “911: Lone Star” being a fire captain and Kevin Alexandro(of Arrow & Lucifer) being a detective on a previous show. Casting Jordan Calloway(of Black Lightning & Unfabulous was great because he just came off a good run on his previous show but they nixed his spinoff so it’s good to see him in a new show. The last key cast member Dianne Farr(of Like family & Rescue me) but she is more believable at this point in her career as more of an administrative/hire up role as a fire chief because she wouldn’t be believable as a current firefighter. The other two are the daughter of Alexandro who wants to be a firefighter and they throw in the token LGBQT character in as well. It has been a while that from the moment the show starts it grabs your attention with the action and even the stories will focus on how they are preventing fires/preventing them from getting worse. Theriot even got some cast members from his other show to produce it as well and CBS already after three episodes have given it a full season order which is always a positive sign of renewal but doesn’t mean 100% of getting renewed but still should be. It being on the same night with SWAT & Blue bloods is a good start as they are all procedurals. With Bull ending, Seal Team, Evil, Blood & Treasure moving to Paramount+, Good Sam being cancelled and them cancelling more sitcoms there is room in the schedule no matter when for a good show to fill in the time slots.

So Help me Todd: Attorney Margaret Wright(played by Marcia Gay Harden of Miller’s Crossing & Law & Order SVU) hires her talented but directionless son Todd(played by Skylar Astin of Pitch Perfect & Zoey’s extraordinary playlist) as her law firm's in-house investigator. As the black sheep of the well-heeled Wright family, Todd is a laid-back, quick-thinking, excellent former private detective who fell on hard times after his flexible interpretation of the law got his license revoked. Margaret's penchant for excellence and strict adherence to the law is at complete odds with Todd's scrappy methods of finding his way through sticky situations: by the seat of his wrinkled pants. When Todd inadvertently teams with his mother on a case, she's surprised to find herself duly impressed by and proud of his crafty ability to sleuth out information with his charm and his wide-ranging tech savvy. At last, Margaret sees a way to put her son on a suitable path to living an adult, financially solvent life she approves of, and she asks him to join her firm. 

Verdict: CBS is trying to replace their most successful abnormal lawyer/courtroom drama “Bull” which just ended this year with the same producers Dr. Phil & his son. If you have paid attention any lawyer/courtroom dramas have not been renewed after one season let alone after season two. This dynamic setup is mom as the lawyer who is by the rules and her son the PI who does things his own way which sometimes isn’t by the book. It is an interesting dynamic and hasn’t been too bogged down by too much drama outside of the pilot episode when they introduced how he got the job and all the family/work dynamics. It is nice Todd is always trying to help those in need no matter what even if it doesn’t help the bottom line of the firm his mom works at. I do not like the other investigator snitching on him, making his life harder. His character is a waste of time. The other co-worker is a waste of time as his ex-girlfriend from the past also works for his mom who happens to now be engaged so he has to work with her too. They introduced Todd’s sister who is a doctor/her husband but that’s fine she has been helpful in some investigations but why mention he has another brother who is married to a man if you’re not going to show him just his husband/child that’s a waste of time. It is nice seeing Astin getting a new chance to be lead in a new TV show as he is a multi-talented actor(singer) who has been a part of good shows that have been cancelled too early and Harden who is a talented award winning actress so they are putting on a good show with their mom-son dynamic in this show. The show isn’t always being serious as it has its moments of humor as well which is a nice blend over an hour long show. CBS already after three episodes have given it a full season order which is always a positive sign of renewal but doesn’t mean 100% of getting renewed. With Bull ending, Seal Team, Evil, Blood & Treasure moving to Paramount+, Good Sam being cancelled and them cancelling more sitcoms there is room in the schedule no matter when to fill in the time slots.

East New York: Deputy Inspector Regina Haywood (played by Amanda Warren of Law & Order & NCIS New Orleans) has just been promoted boss of the 74th precinct in East New York: a working-class neighborhood on the edge of Brooklyn in the midst of social upheaval and the early seeds of gentrification. With family ties to the area, Haywood is determined to deploy creative methods to protect her beloved community with the help of her officers and detectives. But first, she has the daunting task of getting them on board, as some are skeptical of her promotion, and others resist the changes she is desperate to make. Regina has a vision: she and the squad of the 74th precinct will not only serve their community but they'll also become part of it. 

Verdict: Renewed. It is nice to see some fresh blood in the cop genre as NCIS/CSI/Blue Bloods has been ruling the airwaves at CBS and at NBC it has been the Law & Order franchise/Chicago PD ruling that channel. The things that check the box are the premise of a cop trying to input changes in how they police the community and the good casting of some actors. The writing has been great so far with the only unneeded drama has been the personal life of one detective and that has been it. It has been all about police work from street cops to detectives to captain to Haywood doing her job. It is still confusing the hierarchy in the precinct with a captain and a deputy inspector plus the assistant chief always being there when he should be checking out all the precincts.  She is believable as a person of power in a police station as her previous works are in procedural shows and she is giving a good enough performance to believe/get behind her ideas of change/how she wants to do it. The hope is Jimmy Smits(of LA law & NYPD blue) is a part of another good cop show as he has a long history of that but his recent history is of shows that have been cancelled or not lasting long with him in a supporting role not as a main character doing the cop legwork might help. The desk sergeant(played by CS Lee of Dexter & Law & Order), the lead street cop(played by Ruben Santiago-Hudson of Castle & Michael Hayes) is good in a teaching role, his rookie, the two main detectives(played by Elizabeth Rodriguez of Orange is the new black & New York undercover)(Kevin Rankin of Friday Night lights & Unforgettable) and even the officer Quinlan(played by Olivia Luccardi of Orange is the new black & the Deuce) who is trying to hard are likeable characters with cop show backgrounds for most. The last cast member is Richard Kind of (Spin City & Mad about you) isn’t always the most likeable person in a show but he offers his brand of weirdness to offset all the seriousness in the show with much needed humor. He even says he irritates people is why he hasn’t been promoted often despite being a captain but that is super dead on. CBS has hit a homerun so far three out of three dramas to fill in the holes vacated by Bull ending, Seal Team, Evil, Blood & Treasure moving to Paramount+, Good Sam being cancelled and them cancelling more sitcoms that there is room for a good procedural show no matter where it is. The recent history of cop shows haven’t lasted long outside of ABC’s the Rookie, Fox’s 911 franchises (which is all first responders) and CBS’s SWAT so with CBS already after three episodes have given it a full season order which is always a positive sign of renewal but doesn’t mean 100% of getting renewed but still should be.

NBC:

Quantum Leap: Thirty years have passed since Dr. Sam Beckett vanished into the Quantum Leap accelerator  Dr. Ben Song(played by Raymond Lee of Top Gun Maverick & Here & Now) is now the lead physicist of a top-secret government time-travel program but has uploaded new program code to the project systems and used the upgraded accelerator to make an unauthorized leap into the past awakening in a different body with only fragments of his memory intact. Guided by Addison, a colleague in the present day who appears to him as a hologram that only he can see and hear, he discovers the only way for him to leap again is to correct something in his host person's life. As Ben leaps from life to life, putting right what once went wrong, his team in the present tries to figure out why he leaped and bring him home. 

Verdict: Cancelled. Based on previous years when NBC introduces a new show after the Voice it usually gets cancelled (Debris, Bluff City law and Ordinary Joe) so the track record isn’t great. If it does like Manifest or Blindspot it will get forgotten and moved all over the schedule. Plus shows that have a science fiction element like this (Debris or Manifest) seem to be all over the place in terms of plot and characters where you are confused on who each person is and what the actual plot or goal of the show is. With this show since it’s a remake but more of a revival in the future from the last show there is an actual plot to help get the new guy back home, and in the meantime help him out in every leap so he can get closer to home. It is interesting to see how an updated version has advanced in technology and production on TV sets for all of these moments in the past. The biggest issue is “Quantum Leap” is an iconic show that is very famous in pop culture history and you wouldn’t think they would want to ruin it by redoing it but here we are. It is good that Ernie Hudson(of Ghostbusters & Oz) is the leader of this group as he has a nice commanding presence on camera. For the PC police it is very diverse as the lead is a Korean-American, Hudson is obviously black, one of the other people on the team is also Asian and they have a non-binary actor as one of the smartest people in the show (they are actually very good at their role).  Also, the hologram that helps him out like in the original is a bad idea to make it his fiancé as it adds extra drama and unneeded issues that would arise from the emotional aspect of having your fiancé stuck in the past just want it professional. You also add another aspect of another person also trying to use the machine for their own gain is adding another confusing element you have to worry about when watching. The show hasn’t been bad in terms of writing and technical aspects but again it is a confusing SciFi show that should never have been brought back. The only reason to tune in is to see where in history it takes him and what is the plan on how long it’s going to take for him to get home(in the original he didn’t). But they did order an additional amount of episodes to make it an eighteen episode season which is a good sign to be renewed but we will see for how long as there are no guarantees. 

Lopez Vs Lopez: George and Mayan, a once-estranged father and daughter, navigate dysfunction, reconnection and all the headaches and joy in between as they make up for lost time like only they can. With George back in the picture, he can always be counted on to provide Mayan with some unconventional parenting advice about her son, Chance and lighthearted barbs at her boyfriend Quinetin (played by Matt Shively of American Housewife Real Oneils). He also will have to deal with his ex wife Roise(played by Selenis Leyva of Orange is the New Black & Law Order) as well who hasn’t really forgiven him. In the end, the Lopez clan gets by with a little drama, a lot of love and a lifetime of laughter. 

Verdict: Renewed. I am happy for George Lopez that he finally has another sitcom and it is on broadcast TV but it seems too stale and forced some of the stuff. He is one of the funniest comedians/comedic actors so he is funny as always in any role. The real star of the show is the kid actor playing his grandson Chance. He seems to steal the scenes and is always making me laugh with his lines. I do not get why they go by their last names when it isn’t a fictionalized version like his previous sitcom. I like how they use the original theme song in the show periodically but not the constant need to do ticktock videos in every episode (that should be taken out going forward), plus the laugh track is bad too. His daughter’s boyfriend is funny as I have seen him in other sitcoms too as he plays the token white guy in the show but the ex wife isn’t needed in every episode though. It is also nice to see comedian Al Madrigal playing his best friend as he is always funny. I get the whole premise of having a sitcom with your daughter playing your daughter as he produces it so he can choose who he wants in the show, but has literally no acting experience outside of things George was in. With how NBC has cancelled Mr. Mayor/Keenan but instead kept American Auto/Young Rock/Grand Crew there is no way to tell what they will renew or keep or if this sitcom will last longer than his last two. If they make a few tweaks to the show it should last for a few seasons as it is only a few minor things here and there but overall a funny family sitcom with a funny lead in George Lopez.

ABC:

The Rookie: Feds: Special Agent Simone Clark, the oldest rookie in the FBI Academy, is assigned to support the Los Angeles field office. Clark is a former DC guidance counselor who, at the age of 48, finally achieved her lifelong dream of joining the FBI. After spending her first day with the Los Angeles Field Office's Background Check Unit, she is assigned to SSA Garza's Special Investigative Unit. 

Verdict: When watching this show you need to take it not too seriously which is somewhat the method of ABC procedurals good and bad. It is produced by the lead of the Rookie which is a spinoff of some sorts (Nathan Fillion), so it has the same style of a procedural with some humor in it and we should trust him to make sure the show is as good as the other. A big thing that people may not get over is Niecy Nash (of Reno 911 & Claws) as a lead of a procedural or just in general a lead as she is known for comedies, but as I mentioned before if you don’t take it too seriously then you can sit back and enjoy it. She might be the lead but it’s the rest of the cast that pulls it together as an ensemble. James Lesure(of Men at work & good girls) playing a career agent who is always overlooked for promotions, Britt Robinson(of For the people & Tomorrowland) the youngest ever to be in the behavioral science unit, and Kevin Zegers (of Gossip girl & Air Bud) who is a former actor who played a cop that is also a rookie, as all of them are deserving actors to be in a long running TV show and not going from failed show to another as their last shows have been cancelled. They all have their roles in this show and the task force which is good as the leader of the task force Garza (played by Felix Solis of Good wife & Law & order) is super convincing as a leader and why he picked all of them. Even the actress playing his direct supervisor who is secretly hoping for his failure is a good actress too (Courtney Ford of Legends of Tomorrow & Dexter). Lastly the actor playing the father (Frankie Faison of Banshee & the Wire) is also in the same boat-a talented actor who has been a part of failed shows recently.  The cast, the writing and premise of the FBI having a task force in LA to help out the police is a clever idea plus you get cameos from the Rookie cast like Fillion and others. If ABC wants another universe like Grey’s Anatomy they should renew this procedural and maybe next year they put it on the same night as the Rookie or even with other procedurals like Grey’s Anatomy as this network needs some new and better procedurals than what they have.

Alaska Daily:  Hilary Swank(of Million Dollar Baby & Freedom writers) plays Eileen Fitzgerald, a journalist from New York who moves to Alaska for a clean start and who looks for redemption both personally and professionally after joining a daily metro newspaper in Anchorage. In the city of Anchorage, she works with another colleague at the newspaper, Roz Friendly, to complete and release reports on a crisis known as the Missing and murdered Indigenous persons Crisis in the state of Alaska. 

Verdict: Cancelled. Most TV shows have good pilots or some sort of hook to get you into the show but this show doesn’t. It has been a slow moving feeling like a longer movie than 40+ min episodes, and it is so boring. Sometimes the melodramatic music drowns out the dialogue too. They make Swank look like a crazy recluse who hasn’t slept or bathed in weeks. It is “Hollywood” and some critics think these actors look so made up to be a realistic  cop or whatever that  they went completely opposite here. They are trying to bring to light the issue of Native Americans/indigenous people but mostly women going missing and law enforcement doing nothing. It should be a documentary series or a movie- the writing has been boring and terrible. The acting has been bad too. None of the other actors seem to know how to act as only a few characters seem to have any redeeming qualities. They also make it so diverse of all races that work for this newspaper. ABC shouldn’t have made a 180 on “Stumptown” as a quality show about a PI being there for people and having a huge Native American community and cast because it looks like they wanted to force the issue down our throats. Sorry to Swank but she wasted her money producing this show and starring in it and should have used her time for something else. It is cool that it also about local journalism as that is what I studied but between this and Big Sky ABC has some holes in their lineup that should be cancelled. 

CW:

Winchesters: A prequel to the long-running series "Supernatural: This tells the epic, untold love story of how John Winchester(played by Drake Rodger)met Mary Campbell(played by Meg Donnelly of American Housewife & Zombies) and put it all on the line to not only save their love, but the entire world. When John returns home from fighting in Vietnam, a mysterious encounter sparks a new mission to trace his father's past. In his journey, he crosses paths with 19-year-old demon hunter Mary, who is also searching for answers after the disappearance of her own father. Together, the two join forces to uncover the hidden truths about both of their families. 

Verdict: Renewed. I cannot say if it holds a candle to the beloved Scifi show “Supernatural” or if it is doing it justice as a spinoff/prequel but so far it’s been a fun ride to watch. It has so many avenues to explore in the world of mystical, fantasy and supernatural that I do not think they are going to run out of ideas for a few seasons. Also Jensen Ackles, his wife and a producer from the original show are producing and working on this show so that should give the fanatics a sigh of relief because they want to tell the story right about their parent’s origin story. Ackles also narrates the show as well which is a nice touch and in his narration he claims he is choosing the music and so far it has been great to hear classic rock. This show takes place during the Vietnam War so the music choices make sense. It is nice to see Donnelly in a grownup role as a lead since her previous work was Disney or a family sitcom, she is a quality actress, and the other lead is a pretty fresh face on the acting scene so it will be interesting to see how he handles being a lead. With it being in the Vietnam War era the only issue is how purposely diverse the cast is with a British/Indian woman who has the knowledge of the creatures or things they face, a Hispanic hippie guy, and a black woman who also has all of this knowledge of working with the two main character’s fathers. That time period was that diverse.  Most of these actors do not have long acting credits either so they are taking chances on unknown actors for this show to succeed. It was the most watched series debut this season/most watched premiere on the CW so that is a good sign that there is a following like when the “Walker” remake debuted as it was also highly watched because of Jared Padalecki being in it. With the recent merger of CW with Discovery too many good and bad shows were cancelled/announced it would be their last season so it is uncertain which shows are coming back. Based on how popular the original series was they would be idiots to not renew it and make a “Supernatural” universe.

Walker Independence: Set in the late 1800s as it is an origin story of the series "Walker. It follows Abby Walker(played by Katherine Mcnamara of Arrow & Shadowhunters) an affluent and tough-minded Bostonian whose husband is murdered before her eyes while on their journey out West. Abby arrives in the town of Independence, Texas, where she encounters diverse and eclectic residents running from their pasts, chasing their dreams, and keeping their own secrets. Abby runs into Hoyt Rawlins(played by Matt Barr of Blood & Treasure & Sleepyhollow) , a slippery rogue, thief, and con artist with a dented heart of gold who quickly eyes Abby as a mark, until she turns the tables on him. In seeking justice for her husband, Abby and Hoyt soon find themselves precariously aligned, both seeking to uncover the truth about the identity of Abby's husband's killer, and vow to save Independence, a frontier boomtown where nothing is what it seems. 

Verdict: Renewed. As the CW green lit a Walker remake and a Supernatural prequel here comes a Walker prequel only three seasons into the remake. With the producing and support from Jared Padalecki the star of Walker it seems to be their new move at CW- make prequels or show with actors from their most popular show to be on the air now. Like the regular show this show isn’t bad or horrible but it isn’t amazing or great as it is just average. It is a little confusing how many years ago it took place. It is supposedly the great grandmother of Cordell and same for Hoyt but he has the same name/actor. It makes sense there were Native Americans and even Hispanic people in the old western times, but not having a black deputy or an Asian business owner would make you believe this town is very special from the rest of towns which could be plausible. The interesting thing about this show is all different kinds of people all working together for one goal to stop the new sheriff in town. How the two leads and the Native American character in the show will take him down all season long. It is nice that McNamara is getting a chance to be lead in a show as the CW nixed her “Arrow” spinoff and people are unsure what CBS is doing with the handling of “Blood & Treasure” for Barr, so his being a lead in this show will be good as these two are good actors. The third biggest name in the show Katie Findlay (of Man seeking woman & Nancy Drew) is a good actress but it’s odd her character name is Kate while the rest of the cast is mostly unknown even the bad guys, so it will be interesting to see how good actors they are over the course of the series as they get their acting legs/chemistry going. The rivalry/love-hate relationship between Hoyt and Calian (Native American) will be something fun to watch all season as well. With the recent merger of Discovery with the CW too many good and bad shows were cancelled/announced it would be their last season so it is uncertain which shows are coming back. Based on how much effort they are putting into this “Walker” universe and promoting it they would be dumb to cancel it after only one season as I see it going along for a few seasons at least just like its predecessor as they are on the same night. 

Fox:

Monarch: The reigning king of country music Albie Roman(played by Trace Adkins) and his wife
the queen of country Dottie Cantrell Roman(played by Susan Sarandon of Rocky Horror Picture
Show & Thelma & Louise) created a country music dynasty but even though the Roman name is synonymous with authenticity, the very foundation of their success is a lie. When their reign as country royalty is put in jeopardy their heir Nicollete Roman will stop at nothing to protect her family's legacy, while ensuring her own quest for stardom, alongside her brother Luke and sister Gigi. 

Verdict: Cancelled. I do not know what Fox is trying to do every TV New Year. First it was remaking “Filthy rich” and then “Our Kind of people” trying to make bad soap operas. They cannot replicate the success of musical drama “Empire” or even its indirect spinoff “Star”. I wish this show actually premiered in the spring so that it could run its course and be cancelled. Now we have to wait until the end of the calendar year, maybe even next spring to find out the fate of this show. There is too much boring drama going on that when something exciting happens you’re too bored to know and some of the southern accents are not believable as the lead is British(played b y Anna Friel of Pushing Daisies; Limitless) so her attempt is bad. I give Trace Adkins credit for trying to act but all he does is act all tough-brutish throughout the show. He is a country music star so this is the right show for him but not as a lead and he talks so deep/quietly that it is hard to understand what he is saying but when he talks it is for impact. You have the cliché family secrets that keep coming out at every turn, cheating husbands (father, son; son in law), adultery between in-laws, illegitimate kids trying to stake claim in the family's fortune, adopted kids and siblings stuck in the shadows. They are copying “Empire” where the oldest sibling is an executive in the company (CEO) while the other two are the talent fighting with each other. Good thing is youngest sibling Gigi (played by Beth Ditto) is an actual singer from a band (gossip) but they made her the token LGBTQ character for what seems to be only for plot(also the stereotypical gay makeup guy). The biggest issue is Sarandon who is the lead of the show. The big name/draw to the show isn’t even in the show as they killed her character off in the first episode with some flashbacks afterwards. That's the whole point when she is in all the ads. Another big issue is these flashbacks and flash forwards are confusing and badly placed in the episodes. I know soap operas are supposed to do that/have all the drama/secrets come out but it is so darn confusing and badly put together. The hope is Fox pulls this show quickly as only one time since the pandemic era has a show been pulled off the air(ABC’s “Promised Land”)because it is wasting time on the airwaves. When shows like 911 Lone Star should be on instead or that they cancelled some good ones to clear the airwaves for this. Fox should stop doing soap operas and leave them to daytime television because this one doesn't matter-no matter how much country music is played or guest stars they get.