Upfronts are over and there is a lot to talk about! Welcome to another WRT Edition. This week I`m (MK) joined by SpoilerTV writers: Claire (CS), Yon (SJ), Milo (MJ), Jennise (JH), Jaz (JZ), Jamie (JC), Katherine (KM), Angela (AN), Beth (BW) and Joey (JD). Sit back enjoy the read and feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.
1. Upfronts are over. Which scheduling move was the biggest surprise?
CS: Scheduling Speechless on Friday nights is not a good sign. I love this show and Fridays are usually where tv shows go to die. I hope it’s not true for this terrific show.
SJ: Benching Grand Hotel for midseason, Charmed paired with Supergirl on Sunday, Speechless moving to Friday, the whole of Fox's line-up, ABC refusing to break up Shondaland Thursdays....... a girl could go on all day. The Networks were brave enough in a sense to go through with a massive palette cleanse & get rid of a lot of shows whose ratings just weren't cutting it...... but the schedules were just so predictable. Grey's Anatomy should've been used to anchor a new show, cause it certainly ain't gonna give Station 19 or Murder any extra ratings. Along with A Million Little Things, Grand Hotel was one of their most buzzed about pilots and they lump it into midseason. Same with NBC benching The Village, which could potentially result in another Rise situation. The whole of Fox's lineup is completely and utterly pointless, and whilst moving Speechless to Friday is good for me with my upcoming Uni schedule..... we all know Friday is where shows go to die & I think it deserves better than that.
JH: Work has been fairly intense for the last few months so I'm not as in tuned as I used to be, but the biggest surprise for me was the cancellation of Scorpion.
JZ: I don't see any big surprises this season, but what I do enjoy about this year's lineup is the decision to group shows based on their genres or branding. I like the idea of TGIT and One Chicago nights, (even though I don't watch all those series) the white-feminist Supergirl teaming up with the feminist hyped Charmed series, and NBC's comedy block, which is a formidable rival to ABC's block of comedy.
I think that this was a wise decision by the network as it keeps viewers on the channel all night and keeping ratings consistent throughout which may appeal more to advertisers as well.
I am a little miffed about Grand Hotel and The Code being slated for midseason just because they're my favorite new shows this year but I'm willing to wait for quality I guess....
JC: For me, the most shocking is still that Legacies will premiere in the fall rather than midseason like The Originals is now. But I guess they want to keep the momentum going.
KM: I was surprised to see Charmed on a Sunday. That can be a day that tends to go either way ratings-wise. There are a few shows, like The Blacklist, that are returning mid-season that I expected to start in the Fall. I assume shows like this are in their last season.
BW: I think for me it was CBS's Monday schedule. They are banking a lot on these new shows.
JD: I'm shocked NBC is putting Midnight, Texas on in-season on Fridays. Do they hate the show or something? It performed very modestly in the Summer, and this is only gonna tank the ratings even more. Though if they're putting it anywhere in-season, Friday is definitely the place for it. We'll see how it goes, I guess!
2. Upfronts are over. What Trailer intrigued you the most?
CS: Definitely the Murphy Brown trailer. I
forgot how funny Grant Shaud (Miles) is. When he talked about his years working on The View, I could not stop laughing. And in our current political climate, it’ll be good to have Murphy’s perspective again. When a trailer is more enjoyable than most of the current tv schedule, that is a good sign. Can’t wait!
SJ: My answer here is probably going to be obvious, but of course, Grand Hotel intrigued me. I was already hyped for the show and the trailer just cemented that. Manifest was ok and I'd probably like it a lot more if NBC weren't trying to claim it as being the new Lost. Whiskey Cavalier looks extremely amusing and I like when action dramas can input a bit of comedy. Charmed of course looks good as well. Some of the dialogue was clunky, not feeling the guy who plays the whitelighter, but I'm still completely hyped for the show to begin & think critics are being a little harsh on it. Not technically part of Upfronts, but the Pretty Little Liars spinoff trailer was released and it looks really good.
MJ: I haven't seen This Is Us but I'm intrigued by A Million Little Things. Not many of the new shows grabbed my attention all that much to be honest - my schedule for This Fall is the shortest it's been in years, and I tend to avoid watching trailers for new shows as most of them just tend to be a trimmed down version of the entire pilot episode.
JH: There were several trailers that have me excited and looking forward to their shows but one did intrigue me. God Friended Me It initially looked like it would the same style of show as Early Edition or Kevin (Probably) Saves the World but there are hints that it might be more. But there's a little more there in the trailer. I'm going to have to check that one up. FBI could be interesting but, for me, only if it's a case of the week. and The Passage is a maybe but I'm not sure how that premise is going to work beyond a 2-hour movie.
JC: I had mostly figured out which shows I was interested in and which ones I wasn't based on the descriptions. But the trailer for All American really changed my mind. Originally I wasn't going to check it out, but after seeing the trailer I would love to see more.
BW: The Trailer that intrigued me the most was Grand Hotel. I had no interest at all until I watched the trailer. It looks like the kind of soapy fare that I like, so I am excited for that one. Manifest also got me super excited but I was already looking forward to it.
JD: I was already really looking forward to Manifest and A Million Little Things before the trailers came out, and they definitely did not disappoint. I was shocked to discover I really enjoyed the God Friended Me trailer though. The premise sounded a tad ridiculous (of course!) but after watching basically the entire first episode in the trailer, it's definitely a show I'm going to get behind. It might even be a new favorite if the tone stays similar to the pilot.
3. The Arrowverse is tapping into the Batman-verse Characters, Batwoman is coming! Thoughts, expectations, casting suggestions?
SJ I don't trust TPTB in charge of Arrow to do a good adaptation of Batwoman. I also can't help feeling their sudden interest in portraying a version of Gotham, comes from the fact the Fox show is extremely successful and they want a taste of that. It all honestly feels like a desperate move from a show that has been losing a lot of steam over the last few years and is battling to try and stay relevant. Which is something that could be said for all the DC shows except for Black Lightning, but I can't help fearing this will be a disaster. I don't have any real thoughts on casting outside wanting someone who can actually act.
MJ: As excellent a character as Batwoman is in the comics (seriously, you should all have read JH Williams III's run on the character - working with various artists, it's such a treat - I am somewhat sceptical about how Arrow will handle her given how awful the show has been of late. It'll be interesting to see if their version of Gotham will differ from Fox's Gotham - but it'll have to be very good to top that, as the show especially has only gotten better and better as of late. But the good news is that the Arrowverse writers tend to up their game for crossovers so I'm optimistic to see how this turns out. Hopefully, it's good enough to get a Batwoman TV show out of this.
JH: The first priority of the new season of Arrow should be the story. This past season was a huge mess. Stunt characters or cast isn't going to bring me back as a viewer. Tell me a great story. If it happens to include Batwoman, that's fine, but bringing Batwoman into a crappy story is not going to get me to watch.
JZ: The introduction of Batman/Gotham characters only reminds me that Gotham will be over next year and I’ll be sore that no matter what the CW decides to do, FOX would have done it better.
In terms of Batwoman, I expect to see a relatively popular television name join the cast like we have seen in the past for hyped character announcement. (ie Music Meister and The Ray) I’d like for this incarnation to also be a lesbian, but the temptation to hook her up with either Alex or Sara is too high for these horny writers, so I’ll hold my breath on that one.
For out of the box casting, I’d LOVE it if Maggie Q took the role as I feel a superhero with a military background would be PERFECT for her. BUT knowing the CW and the comic bitch boys, they’ll probably want a more traditional white redhead so for that criteria, I’d love to see actors like Cassidy Freeman, Sarah Wayne Callies, Chelsea Spack or Sara Canning take on the role.
BW: I have no expectations, I think it will be intriguing to have that universe included and as always for the characters to interact with her. I have no clue who suggest with casting.
BW: I am a huge sucker for superheroes, and also for television crossovers, so I completely devour the CW DC Universe and constantly get excited when they want to expand the possibilities. Does it always turn out great? Absolutely not. Am I let down on a semi-regular basis? Sure am. Am I going to be giddy the entire season waiting to see how Batwoman goes? You betcha! I'll be keeping my expectation low, though, and hopefully be surprised.
4. What are your personal reasons to check out a new show? A potential ship? An Actor? A genre? What makes you go for a new show ?
CS: I usually check out a new show because of the cast. The new show The Kids Are Alright piqued my interest because of Michael Cudlitz. I’ve been a fan of his since Band Of Brothers. After his Abraham was bludgeoned on The Walking Dead, I never watched another episode (except when Carl died). And I think TKAA looks very promising.
MJ: Having a good cast helps, but it's not everything. I rarely check out shows for potential ships - romance is not the main reason why I watch TV. I want to watch drama for a good story and comedy to make me laugh. So if I'm interested by the trailer and the early buzz is positive I'll check it out. Also - certain people's names attached to certain projects helps too, although I tend to put more faith in quality showrunners than actors. People who've earned my trust with quality work in the past so much that I'll watch watever include: Noah Hawley (Fargo, Legion), Jonathan E. Steinberg and Robert Levine (Black Sails), Jonathan Nolan (Westworld, Person of Interest), David Simon (The Wire, Show Me A Hero), Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders, Taboo), Damon Lindelof (The Leftovers went a long way to redeem him and I'm super excited for his upcoming Watchmen project), and David Lynch (That is, if he ever does TV again outside of Twin Peaks).
JH: I do have a list of actors that I will always check out anything they're in. But that happens much less frequently for me with tv shows.
Usually, I'm drawn to check out shows because of an interesting premise or odd setup. Sometimes a good trailer will get me to check out a pilot. There have been years (especially after VCRs and DVRs were invented) where I would watch every 1-hour drama pilot that aired to see if any were good. I don't "ship". That's never going to get me to check out a new show.
JZ: For me it’s the cast. Usually, if one or two of my faves have been cast I’m 100% down to at least watch the pilot, even if the concept is terrible! The next thing I look for is the concept or genre. This season I’ve lost a lot of drama shows so I’ll keep my eye out for anything that might fill the holes this season. For me, that’s why I’m interested in The Code and Manifest to fill the military/spy/mystery gaps that show like Lost, Quantico, and The Brave have left in me. I also take Eps and the writing teams into account, I’m a sucker for anything written by Greg Berlanti, Kenya Barris or Kevin Williamson.
JC: When it comes to new shows that haven't premiered yet, for me the most important part is the story. I only tune if for specific ships or characters if a show is already airing.
KM: An actor; if I like an actor, I will watch at least a couple of episodes to see if I'm into it, regardless of how awful I may find it initially. I have lost many hours of my life this way Genre is also important; if I like the idea of a story, I may check it out. There are so many of the genres I enjoy on now that it really has to look really interesting to get my attention.
AN: Usually if an actor I like is involved in a new show, that's enough to get me interested right there. It's either that or the premise of the show. Maybe the promos make it sound interesting, maybe it seems similar to other shows I like somehow, maybe I find out the writers/showrunner/etc. were involved in something else I liked, stuff like that that can be enough to get me to at least give a show a look.
BW: I check out a new show if I think I can be emotionally attached. Usually, something from the trailer will hook me, whether it be the concept or the relationships I think will get me invested. Also, if the trailer makes me laugh for a comedy, I will definitely sample it. Also, if one of my 'must have' actors is in it, then that will get me to sample no matter the concept.
JD: Plot is honestly the main thing I look at. I don't really have genre preference as long as there's a compelling story to be told. However if I do find a plot only mediocre, or possibly even bad, I'll still sometimes check it out if there's an actor I like involved with the show.
Hope you've enjoyed this edition and join the discussion in the comment section. In the meantime if you are interested here is my in depth Breakdown of the Fall Schedule. Till next week. . .
