New Fall TV Review: The Blacklist

After his disastrous run on The Office, I wasn't sure I was ready to see James Spader on TV again, but he is singlehandedly making this new spy drama must-see. He plays mastermind criminal Raymond Reddington who has willingly turned himself in to the F.B.I. with the promise of sharing information on all the criminals he has worked with over the years. He also requests that he work exclusively with a young female agent. The show has procedural elements as each week deals with Reddington and the female agent working on capturing a criminal on Reddington's "blacklist" each week. However, there are also some perplexing mythological questions that have been established already. One is why Reddington chose to specifically work with this young agent. The one that interests me more is what is going on with the agent's husband who may not be all that he seems. There are some Jason Bourne elements to his storyline that certainly has me intrigued. Right now it is balancing that line to appease fans of both types of shows. But as I mentioned at the top, Spader is the reason to watch. His smarmy, sneaky Reddington captures your interest every time he is on the screen. Even when the "case of the week" doesn't provide something of interest, he keeps you invested in watching. I look forward to seeing how each of these storylines play out as the season unfolds. Verdict: Earns a season pass on the DVR

Fall harvest

This past week I've been posting the announcements for the fall schedules of television's networks. From a scheduling perspective, there was not a lot of shakeup, particularly regarding shows that affect me so there's not much to discuss. Along with the schedule announcements, the networks have posted trailers promoting their brand new shows. I've watched them all and I can't say that I'm overly optimistic. Most of the shows fell into one of two common traps: 1)the show has an interesting premise that feels extremely limited; you wonder how the show can sustain 22 episodes, let alone multiple seasons or 2) the show feels like a complete retread of tired setups and tropes that just make you yearn for older shows that have done the same thing much better in the past. With that said, there are a few shows that do show some promise so I'll be posting the trailer for each of them below along with links to a few others that might be decent as well.

CBS
They probably had the weakest crop of previews, but they also have the strongest crop of existing shows, so they probably don't have to worry if none of these pan out. The one that interested me the most was Hostages about a female doctor who is set to operate of the President of the United States when her family is taken hostage. She's told that she must let the President die during the operation or else her family will die. Again, I don't see how they can stretch this out into a full series, but the cast is strong and the preview suggests that there's more to the story than they're letting on here, so perhaps this could work.



Honorable mention: A new comedy called The Crazy Ones starring Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar. The premise here seems solid enough. The big question is how well the show can keep Robin reined in. If it's just his grating schtick constantly, it won't keep me as a viewer. If the focus is on the storytelling with his humor peppered throughout, then you might have a winner. Here's the trailer.


ABC
There's a clear winner here and it's Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Even better is that they've scheduled it for Tuesdays, where there is not a lot of quality TV competition, so hopefully it has a chance of succeeding. I posted a quick trailer earlier this week, but here's a nearly 3 minute trailer that will give you a much better idea of what to expect from the show.



Honorable mention: While not everything worked in the preview for The Goldbergs, there's enough to make me think it could have a chance if it finds the right tone and voice. There's no denying it has a strong comedic cast (the older brother sticks out as a weak link). If it can tap into that Freaks and Geeks or Wonder Years vein, then this might work. Here's the trailer.


FOX
Of the previews they released, FOX probably had the best average. More than a few of their shows seemed to have promise, but on the other hand none really stood out as a sure thing. It was tough for me to pick just one as their best bet. I went with Sleepy Hollow - a new twist on the story of Ichibod Crane. From a writer/producer perspective, the show has a good pedigree. I also liked how it blended a lot of genres. The show seems to be part cop drama, part horror, part historical mystery, and part science fiction. It's tough to say right now whether this will work or not, but I'm hopeful it will.



Honorable Mention: I probably would have given it to Us & Them, a remake of the critically acclaimed British show Gavin and Stacey, but since it's not scheduled to air until "midseason", which could whenever, I decided to give the nod to Brooklyn Nine-Nine. I can't say that I always liked Andy Samberg during his tenure on SNL, but the preview for this new cop comedy made me laugh more than any other trailer. That's due largely to a seemingly solid supporting cast. If it's not surrounded by other decent shows, this may struggle to find an audience, but I'm willing to give it a shot. Here's the trailer.


NBC
Of the new dramas, The Blacklist, had the premise that intrigued me the most. James Spader is a criminal mastermind on the FBI's Top Ten list who turns himself in with the promise of helping them capture other highly sought criminals that he's worked with. No matter the role, Spader is always compelling, so it's likely most will get sucked in to the first episode based on his presence alone. Whether the show can sustain an audience, as well as a compelling narrative remains to be seen.



Honorable mention: I gotta say, there was a huge drop-off in terms of interesting previews after The Blacklist. It's so bad, that I almost don't want to mention anything else. The comedies, especially, looked rather uninteresting, which is a shame that Parks and Recreation is left to pick up their slack. If I had to point one out that might have a chance, it's The Michael J. Fox Show. The setup doesn't really hook me, but Fox is such a likable presence, that it's hard not to root for him. Here's the trailer.

2013 Fall Television Schedule Announcement (NBC)

NBC has announced a new lineup of primetime shows for the 2013-14 season that includes popular returning series, fresh new comedies, compelling new dramas and the latest season of "The Voice."

Highlights of the year-round schedule - which will be bolstered in February on the heels of the Winter Games in Sochi, Russia - include "Believe," a new drama from J.J. Abrams and Alfonso Cuaron; the return of three-time Emmy winner James Spader in action thriller "The Blacklist"; and a comedy lineup that includes new series from "Friday Night Lights" and "Parenthood" executive producer Jason Katims, Will Ferrell, Bill Lawrence, Sean P. Hayes, and a return to NBC of one of the biggest TV stars of any generation, Michael J. Fox.

The new comedy additions are "Welcome to the Family," "Sean Saves the World," and "The Michael J. Fox Show" as well as midseason comedies "The Family Guide," and "About A Boy."

The new dramas are "The Blacklist," "Ironside," and "Dracula," plus mid-season dramas "Believe," "Crisis" and "Crossbones."

NBC has also ordered dramas "Chicago PD" and "The Night Shift" and comedy "Undateable" as unscheduled midseason series.

New alternative series premiering during the 2013-14 season include "The Million Second Quiz" and "American Dream Builders." Returning to the schedule are "The Biggest Loser" and "The Sing-Off." "Food Fighters" has been ordered as an unscheduled midseason show.

Scripted series returning include "Grimm," "Parenthood," "Law & Order: SVU," "Revolution," "Chicago Fire," "Parks and Recreation" and "Community."

Pick-up decisions on "Celebrity Apprentice" and "Hannibal" are still to be made in the next few weeks.

"The Voice" will kick off its fifth season in September on Mondays (8-10 pm. ET). The current cycle of "The Voice" has been primetime's #1 show of the week on the Big Four networks, excluding sports, for four of six weeks thus far in adults 18-49.

The announcements were made by Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, NBC Entertainment.

"The overriding strategy this year was to develop enough strong comedies and dramas to take advantage of the promotional heft of the Winter Olympics and devise two schedules for the upcoming season: one for fall and a slightly different one for midseason. I'm pleased to say that our development groups - headed by Jennifer Salke (scripted) and Paul Telegdy (alternative/reality) - really delivered," Greenblatt said. "This is the most robust and highest-testing slate of new shows we have had in years."

Greenblatt continued, "And aside from our Olympics planning, we also wanted to create better flow and compatibility on each night, and deploy our strongest lead-in ('The Voice') to maximum effect.

"Sunday in the fall remains the night to beat with 'Sunday Night Football.' After football and the Olympics are over, we will launch two classy, attention-getting dramas in February: 'Believe' from J.J. Abrams, and 'Crisis' starring Dermot Mulroney and Gillian Anderson. We think it's time for big dramas again on Sunday nights. And leading into these dramas at 8 p.m. will be an exciting home renovation competition hosted by Nate Berkus called 'American Dream Builders.'

"Monday and Tuesday will again dominate with 'The Voice.' Our highly anticipated new James Spader drama 'The Blacklist' deserves to go into the 10 p.m. slot on Monday, and we're moving 'Chicago Fire,' a show we really believe in, to 10 p.m. on Tuesdays to benefit from 'The Voice' lead-in that will be at 9 p.m. in the fall. "

After the Olympics, however, 'The Voice' moves back to 8 p.m. on Tuesday so that we can launch two of our strongest new family comedies in the 9 p.m. hour: 'About a Boy' and 'The Family Guide.' Landing more comedy on the schedule is important and using 'The Voice' as a lead-in after the Olympics is the strongest way to do that.

"I believe we'll have a more compatible Wednesday line-up with three dramas: 'Revolution,' 'Law & Order: SVU' and 'Ironside,' starring Blair Underwood, which is another new show we've very high on.

"Thursday will have a family theme, starting with a two-hour comedy block from 8-10 p.m. anchored by strong stars: Amy Poehler in 'Parks and Recreation,' Mike O'Malley in 'Welcome to the Family,' Sean Hayes in 'Sean Saves the World' and the new 'Michael J. Fox Show.' Then at 10 p.m. 'Parenthood' moves in to top off the night with what I know is the best family drama on television.

"On Fridays, anchored by 'Grimm' at 9 p.m., we will have a more fun genre night with the limited-series 'Dracula,' starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers at 10 p.m. In the spring, 'Crossbones' - with John Malkovich as the infamous pirate Blackbeard - replaces 'Dracula,'" said Greenblatt.

Jordan Wertlieb, President of Hearst Television and Chair of the NBC Affiliate Board, commented, "This schedule is another example of NBC's continued commitment to restoring prime time to its traditional leadership position. I am sure the investment in partnering with some of the most recognizable names in television will be obvious and exciting to the affiliates."

NBC Fall 2013-14 schedule (New shows in ALL CAPS)

MONDAY
8-10 p.m. - "The Voice"
10-11 p.m. - "THE BLACKLIST"

TUESDAY
8-9 p.m. - "The Biggest Loser" (New Day and Time)
9-10 p.m. - "The Voice" (New time)
10-11 p.m. - "Chicago Fire" (New Day and Time)

WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m. - "Revolution" (New Day and Time)
9-10 p.m. - "Law & Order: SVU"
10-11 p.m. - "IRONSIDE"

THURSDAY
8-8:30 p.m. - "Parks and Recreation" (New time)
8:30-9 p.m. - "WELCOME TO THE FAMILY"
9-9:30 p.m. - "SEAN SAVES THE WORLD"
9:30-10 p.m. - "THE MICHAEL J. FOX SHOW"
10-11 p.m. - "Parenthood" (New Day and Time)

FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. - "Dateline NBC"
9-10 p.m. - "Grimm"
10-11 p.m. - "DRACULA"

SATURDAY
Encore programming

SUNDAY
7:00-8:15 p.m. - "Football Night in America"
8:15-11:30 p.m. - "NBC Sunday Night Football"

NBC MIDSEASON 2013-14 SCHEDULE (New programs in UPPER CASE; all times ET)

MONDAY
8-10 p.m. - "The Voice"
10-11 p.m. - "THE BLACKLIST"

TUESDAY
8-9 p.m. - "The Voice"
9-9:30 p.m. - "THE FAMILY GUIDE"
9:30-10 p.m. - "ABOUT A BOY"
10-11 p.m. - "Chicago Fire"

WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m. - "Revolution"
9-10 p.m. - "Law & Order: SVU"
10-11 p.m. - "IRONSIDE"

THURSDAY
8-8:30 p.m. - "Parks and Recreation"
8:30-9 p.m. - "WELCOME TO THE FAMILY"
9-9:30 p.m. - "SEAN SAVES THE WORLD"
9:30-10 p.m. - "THE MICHAEL J. FOX SHOW"
10-11 p.m. - "Parenthood"

FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. - "Dateline NBC"
9-10 p.m. - "Grimm"
10-11 p.m. - "CROSSBONES"

SATURDAY
8-10 p.m. - Encore and specials programming
10-11 p.m. - "Saturday Night Live" (Encore)

SUNDAY
7-8 p.m. - "Dateline NBC"
8-9 p.m. - "AMERICAN DREAM BUILDERS"
9-10 p.m. - "BELIEVE"
10-11 p.m. - "CRISIS"

For information on NBC new shows, click here.