New to TV in 2013 – The Fourth and Final Part… For Now

If there’s anything we’ve learned over the last few years, we’ve learned to adapt to the constant adjustments the television networks make to our primetime TV schedules.  Just a few short months ago, the fall programming premiered—some of the September pilots passed the test and will live to see another day, while others have already been cancelled.

But don’t worry… the networks have a lineup of many new programs to accompany our returning favorites in 2013.  Some of the series have promise, while others may flop—but, regardless, we’ll tune in to check them out!

Continuing with our New to TV in 2013 series, here are a few more of the upcoming premieres we can look forward to in the next two months…

*****

This one almost slipped past me… and then I saw a commercial for it this past weekend.

Golden Boy follows Walter William Clark, Jr. (Theo James from the British series Bedlam and Downton Abbey) on his unprecedented rise through the New York City Police force from a beat cop, to detective, to police commissioner.

It has been reported that this crime drama is more character driven than most.  Instead of focusing on the cases the police solve, Golden Boy focuses on the Clark character and the relationships he forms with his partners and mentors, specifically Detective Don Owen (Chi McBride from Boston Public and Human Target).  While I enjoy police procedurals, I would appreciate a television series that really connects me with the character leads more than most already on the air do.

The new series also stars: Kevin Alejandro (Southland and True Blood) as Christian Arroyo,  the supposed “alpha” dog detective; Bonnie Somerville (NYPD Blue and Cashmere Mafia) as Deborah McKenzie, one of the few female detectives in the department; and Holt McCallany (CSI: Miami and Lights Out) as Joe Diaco, the detective with all of the connections.

And let me just say that Mr. James is quite cute, but the role of Walter William Clark, Jr. originally belonged to Ryan Phillippe.  I don’t know why Mr. Phillippe backed out, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit disappointed by this.

Golden Boy premieres Tuesday, February 26^th on CBS.

*****

Life is great for housewife and mother Marta Walraven (Radha Mitchell from Silent Hill and The Crazies).  It’s not until her husband is murdered and the FBI comes knocking that she begins questioning her family’s business… of crime.   Will she resort to her family’s ways, something she’s personally steered clear of until now, or will she join forces with the authorities investigating her family?  One thing’s certain—she will avenge her husband’s death and protect her children at all costs.

The new series also stars:  Clifton Collins Jr. (The Event) as FBI Agent James Ramos; Luke Goss (the Death Race movies) as Luther; Suleka Mathew (Hawthorne) as Dina Tomlin; Jaime Ray Newman (Eastwick and Eureka) as Kat Castillo; Lee Tergesen (Oz and Generation Kill) as Mike Tomlin; Rade Serbedzija (24) as Andrei Petrov; and Goran Visnjic (ER) as Nicholae Schiller.

Oh, and Red Widow is produced and written by Melissa Rosenberg, the head writer behind the first four seasons of Dexter AND the woman responsible for the Twilight franchise screenplays.  That alone has me interested…

Red Widow premieres Sunday, March 3^rd on ABC.

*****

We’ve all wondered it at least once since leaving home, whether it be for college, or marriage, or just because… what would we do if we had no choice but to move back in with our parents as an adult?

After Polly’s (Sarah Chalke from Roseanne and Scrubs) divorce, she has no choice but to move back in with her parents.   But after a year, she worries she’s stuck there forever with her mother (Elaine, played by Elizabeth Perkins from Big and Weeds) and her father (Max, played by Brad Garrett from Everybody Loves Raymond).  To make matters worse, she’s plagued by the ex-husband who wants her back (of course) and a friend she almost made the mistake of dating back in the day.

The new sitcom also stars Canadian comedian John Dore and the 7 Up guy, Orlando Jones.

How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) premieres Wednesday, April 3^rd on ABC.

*****

If I had to rank these in order of which one I’m most looking forward to, I’d put Red Widow at number one.  It has almost everything I like: murder, “connected” families, and the choice of doing right or wrong while protecting one’s own.  If Red Widow has half the action and intrigue of Missing, I’ll be happy.  Golden Boy follows at number two, leaving How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) at third.  ABC’s new sitcom may be loaded with funny people, but someone always has to come in last…

Which of these new programs are you most looking forward to and why?  I’d love to hear from you!   

This wraps up the winter premieres portion of Tele-Tuesday.  These shows along with those mentioned in Part One, Part Two, and Part Three should get everyone’s palate wet…but don’t worry; there’s more ahead in 2013, including the return of at least one freshman series given the ax back in May.

That’s right… CBS is bringing back a television program they cancelled last year.  Maybe the networks do listen?

New to TV in 2013 – Part Three

If there’s anything we’ve learned over the last few years, we’ve learned to adapt to the constant adjustments the television networks make to our primetime TV schedules.  Just a few short months ago, the fall programming premiered—some of the September pilots passed the test and will live to see another day, while others have already been cancelled.

But don’t worry… the networks have a lineup of many new programs to accompany our returning favorites in 2013.  Some of the series have promise, while others may flop—but, regardless, we’ll tune in to check them out!

Continuing with the Part One and Part Two introductions of television’s upcoming pilots, here are a few more premieres we can look forward to in 2013…

*****

Television series about spies are really nothing new… Covert Affairs and Burn Notice both air on the USA Network and both feature two of the highest trained CIA operatives on TV today.

But The Americans is different.

This new FX program follows two KGB sleeper agents during the Cold War in the 1980s as they live undercover in the United States.  Phillip Jennings (Matthew Rhys, Brothers & Sisters) and his wife Elizabeth (Keri Russell, Felicity) look like most Americans… they live in a nice suburban D.C. neighborhood and are raising two children.  Their marriage might have been arranged by the Russian government, but their family is real… even if their children have no idea about their parents’ secret identities.

Maintaining their happy family while managing their KGB operation becomes a bit more arduous for the Jennings when a counter-intelligence FBI agent moves in next door (Stan Beeman, played by Noah Emmerich).  Will their covert operation be safe?  And what will the “nice family next door” do to keep it that way?

As with most FX series, I find the concept of The Americans to be very intriguing.  Usually television audiences get behind the stars of the program… they are typically the “good” guys.  But who are we supposed to “root for” now?  The stars of this series happen to be Russian agents living secretly on U.S. soil and are plotting to take down our government.

Leave it to FX to keep things interesting…

The Americans premieres Wednesday, January 30^th on FX.

*****

Does anyone remember the short-lived Christian Slater TV series My Own Worst Enemy?  Mr. Slater played a secret agent who had been implanted with a chip that transformed him into a super agent at will.  His “normal” identity, Henry Spivey (his cover), had no idea until there was a malfunction.  This glitch disabled the control feature of the chip and he flipped back and forth between his “normal” personality and the “super agent” (Edward Albright) involuntarily.  And of course the two personalities did not like one another—Henry was scared of Edward and Edward was annoyed with Henry.

Anyway, this is what Do No Harm reminds me of… only this time we’re watching a doctor with multiple personalities.  I know it’s not the same concept; it’s more like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; but when I first saw the commercial for the new NBC series, I immediately thought of My Own Worst Enemy.

By day, Dr. Jason Cole (Steven Pasquale, Rescue Me) is a very successful neurosurgeon.  At night, Dr. Cole transforms into his other personality, Ian Price.  At first, Dr. Cole was able to control these switches with his own mixture of pharmaceutical drugs.  But when his self-medication fails, he realizes quickly that Ian will do anything to make his “real” life more difficult.

The new series also stars: Alana de la Garza (CSI: Miami and Law & Order) as Dr. Lena Solis; Phylicia Rashad (The Cosby Show) as Dr. Vanessa Young; and John Carroll Lynch (Body of Proof) as Will.

Do No Harm premieres Thursday, January 31^st on NBC.

*****

Shopping for antiques has never been so dangerous…

Hank Galliston (Anthony Edwards, Top Gun and ER) learns this first hand after his wife (Laila, played by Jacinda Barrett from—get this—The Real World: London) is abducted from her antique shop by a known international terrorist.  With help from a few friends, Hank uncovers a secret map hidden inside a clock from his wife’s store inventory.  This clock/map holds the key to a secret that a clandestine society and Catholic Church were sworn to protect for centuries—“a secret that could bring about the end of the world.”

Will Hank unravel the conspiracy and save his wife AND the world before it’s too late?

The series also stars: Scott Michael Foster (The River and Californication) as Aaron; Addison Timlin (also from Californication) as Rachel; Carmen Ejogo (Alex Cross) as Beck; and Michael Nyqvist (Millennium) as White Vincent.

Zero Hour premieres Thursday, February 14^th on ABC.

*****

Who was sad when The Vampire Diaries killed Alaric at the end of last season?  I know I was.  Of course, even though Alaric is technically dead, we have seen him a few times this season as a ghost hovering around Damon… but maybe not for much longer.

Why?  Because the CW has given Matt Davis (TVD‘s Alaric) a new television series—Cult.

Cult follows journalist Jeff Sefton (Davis) as he investigates the disappearance of his brother.  His brother had rambled on and on to Jeff about how one of his favorite TV shows—a show about the cat and mouse game between a cult’s leader and his ex-lover/detective chasing him—was out to get him, but Jeff wrote it off as paranoia.  When his brother goes missing, Jeff learns that the television series (also titled “Cult”) his brother talked about does indeed have a rabid fan base who might just be committing the crimes as shown on the series.

Jeff is not alone… working alongside him, hoping to unravel the secrets behind the “Cult” TV show, is Skye Yarrow (Jessica Lucas, Melrose Place and Cloverfield).  Skye works as a production assistant for “Cult”; but like Jeff, she begins to think something just isn’t quite right…

The new series also stars: Alona Tal (Cane and Supernatural) as Marti, an actress playing Kelly on “Cult”—a former member of the cult and ex-lover of the leader; Roger Knepper (Heroes and Prison Break) as Roger Reeves, an actor playing Billy Grimm on “Cult”—the leader of the cult; and a few familiar faces in recurring roles from the teen television series The Inbetweeners (Marie Avgeropoulos) and Degrassi: The Next Generation (Stacey Farber).

Cult premiers Tuesday, February 19^th on the CW.

*****

If I had to rank these in order of which one I’m most looking forward to, I’d put Cult at number one—that’s an easy one.  Not only do I tend to love the series on the CW network, but I also really like Matt Davis and serial mysteries.  Zero Hour follows closely at number two.  Like my reasoning behind my number one choice, I have missed Anthony Edwards on TV AND I love watching characters race to find loved ones, especially when surrounded by deep and dark secrets that very powerful organizations have hidden and protected for years.  Third probably goes to Do No Harm; after all, the Jekyll and Hyde story is a classic.  And The Americans comes in fourth.  FX has some of the best programming on TV today, and has for many years, but someone always has to come in last…

There’s just a few more winter premieres on the horizon for 2013, but these shows along with those mentioned in Part One and Part Two should get everyone’s palate wet…

Which of these new programs are you most looking forward to and why?  I’d love to hear from you!   

New to TV in 2013 – Part Two

If there’s anything we’ve learned over the last few years, we’ve learned to adapt to the constant adjustments the television networks make to our primetime TV schedules.  Just a few short months ago, the fall programming premiered—some of the September pilots passed the test and will live to see another day, while others have already been cancelled.

But don’t worry… the networks have a lineup of many new programs to accompany our returning favorites in 2013.  Some of the series have promise, while others may flop—but, regardless, we’ll tune in to check them out!

Continuing with last week’s introduction of the first five January pilots, here are just a few of the upcoming premieres we can look forward to in 2013…

*****

Over the years, HBO and Showtime have produced GREAT original programming… even dating back to when I was a child with HBO’s Fraggle Rock.  Yeah, that’s right—Fraggle Rock.  Since then, I’ve enjoyed a few other HBO series such as Sex and the City, The Sopranos, Band of Brothers, and True Blood.

Showtime’s no slouch either.  Mostly, I’ve enjoyed the comedies like Weeds, Californication, and the most recent hit, House of Lies.  However, Showtime has also hit it big with a few of its original dramas (Dexter, Shameless, and Homeland).

So, Cinemax is finally joining this party…Most people associate Cinemax as “Skin-a-Max” for its late night adult television programming, but now I believe the network is trying to at least compete with HBO and Showtime during the primetime hours.  Not only have they recently aired Hunted, an original action/drama starring Melissa George as Sam Hunter, an undercover operative seeking revenge against those who tried to kill her, but they also plan to release another series in January that has piqued my interest—Banshee.

Banshee follows Sheriff Lucas Hood (Antony Starr) as he serves and protects a small Amish community in Pennsylvania.  Not only does Sheriff Hood have a dark history of his own (he served time for his previous crimes), but so do the town and “founders” of Banshee.  But he’s not intimidated by the local men and their previous arrangements—he has sworn to do his job to the best of his ability… no matter what it takes.

The new series also stars Ben Cross (Dark Shadows), Ivana Milicevic, and Ulrich Thomsen.  Oh, and did I mention Banshee shares the same creators as True Blood?

Banshee premieres Friday, January 11^th on Cinemax.

*****

We all knew it was just a matter of time.  And that time has finally arrived…

Once again, television is hoping to cash in on the success of a previous TV hit—Sex and the City—and has created a spinoff series, hoping to attract today’s younger audience and more than likely all of those that worshiped the former HBO franchise.  Hey, I’m one of them.  Not only did I tune in every Sunday night with my girlfriends to watch Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha, but I also tortured my guy and forced him to take me to the theater to see both film continuations of the series.  Well, I didn’t force him, but I conveniently selected show times at our local full-service bar and restaurant/movie theater for the showings.  I figured if he could drink hard alcohol while sitting through the film, my chances greatly improved of getting him to take me.  I was right.

But The Carrie Diaries isn’t just television’s attempt to keep the Carrie Bradshaw hype alive; the series is based on the book of the same name written by Candace Bushnell, the woman responsible for Sex and the City in the first place.  And which network is best suited for telling the tales of a teenage Carrie?  The CW… one of my favorite channels on TV today.

The Carrie Diaries follows a teenage Carrie Bradshaw (played by AnnaSophia Robb from Soul Surfer) after the death of her mother.  After spending all summer grieving with her father and rebellious younger sister, Carrie jumps at the chance to intern at a job her father secured for her—in Manhattan.

This is where Carrie’s love affair with New York, fashion, clubbing, and writing about friendships, dating, and sex begins…

The new series also stars: Austin Robert Butler (High School Musical) as Sebastian, Carrie’s love interest; Katie Findlay (The Killing) as Maggie, Carrie’s best friend; and Ellen Wong (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) as Jill, Carrie’s other best friend.

The Carrie Diaries premieres Monday, January 14^th on the CW.

*****

SyFy is at it again…

Last year, the science fiction channel began airing Lost Girl, a TV series already primed for season two in Canada.  The network started the episodes from the beginning and ran them consecutively so US audiences were all caught up.  I loved it—watching Lost Girl every week for almost twenty weeks was like an extended season of supernatural greatness.

And it appears the network is at it again… only this time, it’s with the SyFy UK hit and Canadian series Continuum.  As this show prepares for season two in Canada, the American audiences will get to experience it from the very beginning this month.

This science fiction program follows a group of convicted terrorists, or rebels, known as Liber8 from the year 2077 back in time to 2012.  Inadvertently following them is officer Kiera Cameron (Rachel Nichols from Criminal Minds), so she takes it upon herself to prevent this group from altering events in the past.

Will Kiera control the past to save the future?

The series also stars: Victor Webster (Charmed, Mutant X) as Carlos, Kiera’s partner in the present… which I’m guessing is technically 2012 and not 2077; Erik Knudsen (Jericho) as the 2012 Alec, Kiera’s confidant;  and Tony Amendola (Once Upon a Time) as Edouard, the leader of the Liber8 rebels.

Continuum premiers Monday, January 14^th on SyFy.

*****

There’s a ton of programming on BBC America that I want to see: the UK version of Being Human, Doctor Who (thanks to the great Amber West), Hex, Law and Order: UK (I actually caught a few of these over the weekend), and now Ripper Street.

Ripper Street?  That’s right!  As in Jack the Ripper!

This BBC mini-series follows a group of detectives around Whitechapel in London shortly after the gruesome murders credited to Jack the Ripper.  Although they believe the Ripper to be gone, the murders continue—and it’s their turn to do the hunting.

Ripper Street stars: the award-winning English actor Matthew Macfadyn as Detective Inspector Edmund Reid; Jerome Flynn (Game of Thrones) as Detective Sergeant Bennet Drake; Adam Rothenberg (The Ex-List) as American Homer Jackson; and MyAnna Buring (Downton Abbey) as Long Susan, a brothel owner.

Ripper Street premieres Saturday, January 19^th on BBC.

*****

If I had to rank these in order of which one I’m most looking forward to, I’d put Ripper Street at number one—that’s an easy one.  Ranking the rest isn’t as easy because I’m equally as interested in all three!  But, for argument’s sake, I’d say Continuum probably comes in second—it has a leg up on the others because I can watch this one with my guy.  The Carrie Diaries falls into third, not far behind second—loving SATC the way that I did/do, I’m very interested to see what Ms. Bushnell has in store for us now.  And that leaves Banshee in fourth place… which is an injustice if you ask me.  I’m really looking forward to seeing what Cinemax has to offer by way of its original programming; but unfortunately, someone always has to come in last.

There’s more on the horizon for 2013, but these shows along with last week’s should get everyone’s palate wet…

Which of these new programs are you most looking forward to and why?  I’d love to hear from you!   

New to TV in 2013

The New Year is here—Happy 2013!

And with the new year comes new TV shows…

If there’s anything we’ve learned over the last few years, we’ve learned to adapt to the constant adjustments the television networks make to our primetime TV schedules.  Just a few short months ago, the fall programming premiered—some of the September pilots passed the test and will live to see another day, while others have already been cancelled.

But don’t worry… the networks have a lineup of many new programs to accompany our returning favorites in 2013.  Some of the series have promise, while others may flop—but, regardless, we’ll tune in to check them out!

Here are just a few of the upcoming premieres we can look forward to in 2013…

*****

Who killed Vivian Bowers?

Deception is the story of two friends—Vivian Bowers, the wealthy socialite who is known for her partying, and Joanna Locasto (Meagan Good), Vivian’s childhood best friend.  The only problem is, one must now investigate the murder of the other…

The new series also stars: Victor Garber (Alias) as Robert Bowers; Laz Alonso (Breakout Kings) as FBI agent Will Moreno; Tate Donovan (Damages) as Edward Bowers; Katherine LaNasa as Sofia Bowers; and Wes Brown as Julian Bowers.

I could be mistaken, but I’m thinking from the cast of characters alone that perhaps a Bowers family member had something to do with Vivian’s death… so, how will the wealthy family react to her long-lost friend returning and looking into her alleged overdose?

Deception premieres Monday, January 7^th on NBC.

*****

If it’s comedy you like, perhaps 1600 Penn will be right for you…

1600 Penn follows the Gilchrist family… just a normal family dealing with everyday things like adult children moving back home, teenagers who know everything (literally), and step-parents trying to form bonds with their new families.  The only difference is, this family has to learn how to do all these things while living in the White House!

The new sitcom stars: Bill Pullman as President Gilchrist… he also played the President in Independence Day; Jenna Elfman (Dharma & Greg) as Emily, the president’s new wife; Josh Gad as Skip, the grown son moving back home with his family; Andre Holland as Marshall; and Amara Miller as Marigold.

1600 Penn premieres Thursday, January 10^th on NBC.

*****

Now this is my kind of show!

FBI agent Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon, um… Footloose) must track down serial killer Joe Carroll (James Purefoy from Rome)—again.  He first reaches out to Carroll’s ex-wife, a woman Hardy slept with, and then he informs a former witness and surviving victim of Carroll’s crimes that her nightmare has escaped prison and is more than likely headed her direction.

There’s only one problem… like most serial killers, Carroll has fans now… people who are willing to do anything to help him succeed.

The new thriller also stars: Natalie Zea (Justified) as Claire, Carroll’s ex-wife; Maggie Grace (the Taken movies) as Sarah, one of Carroll’s survivors; Shawn Ashmore (the X-Men movies) as FBI agent Weston; and Jeananne Goossen (Alcatraz) as FBI agent Mason.

The Following premieres Monday, January 21^st on Fox.

*****

If I had to rank these in order of which one I’m most looking forward to, I’d put The Following at number one.  This was a tough decision because I’m a really big murder mystery fan… that said, Deception probably comes in a very close second with 1600 Penn  falling into last place.  Unfortunately, someone always has to come in last.

There’s more on the horizon for 2013, but this should get everyone’s palate wet!

Which of these new programs are you most looking forward to and why?  I’d love to hear from you!

Tele-Tuesday: Out With the Not-So-Old 2012 TV Shows and In With the New

Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen the first of the 2012 fall television programs swept into the trash.  It stinks when a show isn’t given the chance to truly gain a following, but it makes sense when we all know the networks have even more to premiere for the winter season; after all, there’s only so much room on the TV schedule for primetime programming.

Today, we’re going to send a warm goodbye to a few of the early cancellations AND welcome a handful of the new January programs headed our way.

First, to the show I will miss the most:

666 Park Avenue, I can’t believe ABC cancelled you.  I guess there just aren’t enough people like me who enjoy creepy and mysterious television…

Now, to the other shows that will join 666 Park Avenue in the Freshman One-and-Done category this year:

and, finally…

Side note: Made in Jersey may be cancelled, but CBS is airing the taped episodes right now on Saturday nights… I like it when a network at least airs the recorded episodes for those of us who actually liked the cancelled program.  Just sayin’.

*****

If one of your favorites was axed, that stinks.  But, look at the bright side—some of these cancellations are making room for the upcoming January 2013 premieres…

Who killed Vivian Bowers?

Deception is the story of two friends—Vivian Bowers, the wealthy socialite who is known for her partying, and Joanna Locasto (Meagan Good), Vivian’s childhood best friend.  The only problem is, one must now investigate the murder of the other…

The new series also stars: Victor Garber (Alias) as Robert Bowers; Laz Alonso (Breakout Kings) as FBI agent Will Moreno; Tate Donovan (Damages) as Edward Bowers; Katherine LaNasa as Sofia Bowers; and Wes Brown as Julian Bowers.

I could be mistaken, but I’m thinking from the cast of characters alone that perhaps a Bowers family member had something to do with Vivian’s death… so, how will the wealthy family react to her long-lost friend returning and looking into her alleged overdose?

Deception premieres Monday, January 7^th on NBC.

*****

If it’s comedy you like, perhaps 1600 Penn will be right for you…

1600 Penn follows the Gilchrist family… just a normal family dealing with everyday things like adult children moving back home, teenagers who know everything (literally), and step-parents trying to form bonds with their new families.  The only difference is, this family has to learn how to do all these things while living in the White House!

The new sitcom stars: Bill Pullman as President Gilchrist… he also played the President in Independence Day; Jenna Elfman (Dharma & Greg) as Emily, the president’s new wife; Josh Gad as Skip, the grown son moving back home with his family; Andre Holland as Marshall; and Amara Miller as Marigold.

1600 Penn premieres Thursday, January 10^th on NBC.

*****

Now this is my kind of show!

FBI agent Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon, um… Footloose) must track down serial killer Joe Carroll (James Purefoy from Rome)—again.  He first reaches out to Carroll’s ex-wife, a woman Hardy slept with, and then he informs a former witness and surviving victim of Carroll’s crimes that her nightmare has escaped prison and is more than likely headed her direction.

There’s only one problem… like most serial killers, Carroll has fans now… people who are willing to do anything to help him succeed.

The new thriller also stars: Natalie Zea (Justified) as Claire, Carroll’s ex-wife; Maggie Grace (the Taken movies) as Sarah, one of Carroll’s survivors; Shawn Ashmore (the X-Men movies) as FBI agent Weston; and Jeananne Goossen (Alcatraz) as FBI agent Mason.

The Following premieres Monday, January 21^st on Fox.

*****

There’s more on the horizon for 2013, but this should get everyone’s palettes wet.

Will you miss any of the cancelled shows?  Which of these new programs coming in January 2013 are you most looking forward to and why?  I’d love to hear from you!