Fall Preview: ABC

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BETRAYAL: ABC is clearly hoping for the next Revenge with this twisted tale of adultery that’s premiering after the Hamptons soap on a Sunday night. The trailer is great and the fact that Betrayal is a limited run, 13 episode series, will hopefully mean it won’t suffer the same narrative problems as Revenge. But 666 Park Avenue and Red Widow both bombed in the same time slot and I worry the generic sounding Betrayal won’t be on anyone’s radar. Then again I thought the under-the-radar Revenge would suffer the same fate 2 years ago. MISS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deUTnIvKHCo

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D: I know everyone is expecting this Marvel spin off from The Avengers to be the biggest TV show ever… and I have no doubt it will launch huge. But in weeks to come I’m not so sure. Remember Terra Nova. Sometimes too much hype is a dangerous thing. People go to the movies for a reason and TV is a very different medium. Plus S.H.I.E.L.D. is going up against N.C.I.S. the number one show on TV. So don’t assume it’s a sure thing! HIT (at least to begin with)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PerIAuv27SQ

THE GOLDBERGS: As every critic has already pointed out – this one’s essentially The Wonders Years set in the 80’s, so get ready for a non stop barrage of pop culture references that will probably wear very thin by week 5. Still The Goldbergs has a good trailer and buzz, the 80’s angle freshens up the stale sitcom family format and heck, it’s airing after Agents… I say HIT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhrwjTnj_uA

TROPHY WIFE: Malin Ackerman stars as the sexy third wife to Bradley Whitford, while Marcia Gay Harden plays one of Bradley’s exes. The trailer zings. If its lead in The Goldbergs doesn’t squander the S.H.I.E.L.D. audience this could be a HIT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChWtLDLFSuo

LUCKY 7: The cast are virtual unknowns. The premise has failed before (remember 2006’s Luke Perry starrer Windfall). And it’s up against Person of Interest and Chicago Fire. Yet Lucky 7 is one of the few shows of the new Fall season that I actually want to see. Based on the Brit series, The Syndicate, 7 follows a group of lottery winners whose lives are turned upside down by their win. The trailer intrigued me and buzz has been good so we’ll see… Likely a MISS but I’m hoping for a HIT!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIr0O15Ibck

BACK IN THE GAME: ABC have long struggled to find the missing pieces in their Weds night comedy puzzle after a couple of years of misfires. This one’s about a divorced mom who moves back in with her overbearing dad (James Caan) and ends up coaching a kid’s baseball team of misfits. It’s middle America enough to work for The Middle’s audience but there’s a hint of edge for the Modern Family crowd. Not really my kind of show but could I could see it blossom into a HIT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya-ALU-nH2U

SUPER FUN NIGHT: On paper this one should be a smash. Post Pitch Perfect, Star Rebel Wilson is hotter than ever. But the production was anything but Super Fun – the show was originally developed for last Fall on CBS, who ultimately passed before ABC took the series on and retooled it. Most worryingly, critical notices on the pilot have not been great with many arguing Wilson and the show are one-note. Still Super Fun Night airs after Modern Family which has to count for something – not that that helped How To Live With Your Parents or Happy Endings of course. I suspect this may turn out to be a high profile MISS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzgsGSxEBEE

ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND: If only this show had come out a year earlier! Way back in the Fall of 2011, Once Upon A Time was a big old hit for ABC, pulling in audiences in excess of 10 million on a regular basis. But fast-forward to Spring 2013 and the show is clearly well past its peak – it hasn’t scored above the 8 million mark since January. Spin off Wonderland also has the tough task of kicking off Thursday nights at 8pm for ABC… the cursed time slot that killed off Last Resort, Zero Hour, Missing and Charlie’s Angels. The show’s brand should at least guarantee a decent launch but don’t count on a second season. MISS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqOwV-2B5_w