2014 Fall TV Round Up

Every Fall I get way too really excited about the new line-up of potential hit shows. Why? I’m always on the lookout for a new obsession and I tend to tune into every and any new show I might remotely be interested in. However, if the time slot is in the middle of a series I have already committed to, I likely won’t check it out. But I still try to give things a chance. With all that in mind, here is a list of the shows I caught this year and my review of them a few episodes in:

Gotham

How could I pass up a show about Jim Gordon? Oh, that’s right– I couldn’t! I was very excited to see how they handle this “prequel” of sorts and while I love the idea of seeing Gotham from Gordon’s PoV, the opening episodes felt very rushed to establish a whole slew of well known villains in their younger years. I would’ve enjoyed having this teased out more, but it’s still reasonably entertaining. I’ll keep watching but I’m not sure for how long.

How to Get Away With Murder

From the get-go, I loved the diversity and honesty in this show. It had a fun concept of introducing the kids to law as well as interestingly developed characters who are wildly different but tied together by a crime. At times I think this show is trying too hard to set itself apart by being so bold, but it caught my attention. And coming from someone who does not like crime drama, that’s saying something.

Manhattan Love Story

This show is so incredibly quirky it sets itself apart from all other finding-love-dramas. The characters are realistic, fun and being able to hear their thoughts gives this show an edge over others like it. I have a feeling it might be too unusual for audiences, but I hope it sticks around.

A to Z

Maybe it’s just me. Maybe it’s just because I got so invested in The Mother character that it’s hard for me to separate the How I Met Your Mother persona from Zelda. And Andrew even looks like Ted! And there’s a voice over! If they’re going for copy-cat, they got it. But I’m not amused enough to stick around.

Scorpion

This pilot had a ton of potential when I first saw the trailer, but after viewing the show, it didn’t exactly stand up for me. The characterization and dialogue of all these genius kids was constructed in such an overt manner that I couldn’t believe they were actually super-smart. I was very aware they were acting. And that’s not good. The plot is clever and I liked the romance that was teed up, but it was like watching the man behind the curtain the entire time. I’m out.

Madam Secretary

Political thrillers are my weakness, so even though I didn’t intend to watch this, I got sucked in. Let’s be real though…it’s basically a fictionalized story about Hilary Clinton. I suspect given it’s ripped-from-the-headlines plots and the underlying mystery it will run for at least a season, but as of now I’m not convinced it has legs. But it makes for a fun show to watch nonetheless.

 

Did you catch any of these shows? What were your thoughts? Were there other premiers you enjoyed? Share your thoughts!