Welcome SpoilerTV'ers to the 2018 edition of Fact or Fiction where the SpoilerTV Team predict whether a statement concerning all things this years TV, also devised by the team, will become Fact (true) or Fiction (false).
Without further ado, we will start with CW's new lineup.
1.) a.) Fact or Fiction: The CW will hit a teen drama sweet spot this fall. Legacies, Charmed, and All American will all perform well, (Charmed after a rocky first few episodes) and secure season two renewals. b.) the CW Sunday programming will be a surprise success
KL:
Fiction to a.) - I think All American will not resonate with the CW audience, but CW Sundays, behind the strength of the Charmed reboot and Supergirl, will be a big success. FACT for b.
Andy:
1a) Fiction
1b) Fiction
Fact to both a and b. I think the CW will have a strong Sunday night and they seem to do well with reboots and spinoffs not to mention people might welcome the restoration of YA dramas not centered on superheroes. Less sure about “In the Dark” but pretty confident that Roswell, Charmed, and Legacies will perform well. Also, I may be in the minority but I can see All American succeeding if it can hit that sweet spot between Friday Night Lights and 90210, whilst remaining topical and diverse.
Milo-MJ:
I'm inclined to lead towards Fact for both but it could easily go either way. The CW's Sunday Night slot will work because the audience for the established shows will follow it anywhere, and I agree that the fact that something not focused around superheroes for a change could be a breath of fresh air especially with the in-built audience interest in something for their more established shows. All American and In The Dark I'm less certain will find an audience especially as The CW's riskier shows tend to struggle, but I'm looking forward to seeing how they get on.
Katherine Meusey:
1b. Possible fact. If people can remember that there is a CW Sunday it may do well as there isn't a similar genre on that night.
Sam Dinmoor:
1A.) Fiction. I think Legacies and Charmed might do okay, but All American I have a feeling won't. The CW has become so supernatural/superhero-focused that I think that's what audiences are drawn to now instead of teen soaps.
1B.) Fact. I think Sunday programming will work for The CW because Sundays have always worked for other networks.
Donna Cromeans:
1-a – Unfortunately FICTION, while Legacies and All American will be critical successes I think they might fail to sustain an already over-saturated teen audience. I think Charmed, after a rocky start will win over naysayer fans of the original.
1-b- FACT – Moving Supergirl and pairing it with Charmed was a good move and having Supergirl anchor the CW’s new night of programming will prove to be a success. The shows, if they follow their similar themes of the strength of sisterhood will be an asset to the night and the network as alternative programming to football.
JW Phillips:
A. FICTION - Charmed will probably do well, I just can't imagine all the new shows surviving though.
B. FACT - I think CW's audience will be CW's audience and the Sunday viewership will be pretty consistent with what we see during the week.
Abi Baker:
a) Fact - The CW usually renew most of their shows and I can't see them giving up on an anticipated reboot such as Charmed, a spin-off from an established property and a Berlanti show quite that easily. I'm not quite sure whether they'll do amazingly but I think they'll do well enough to stick around at least another year. b) Fact - I think numbers will again somewhat decline but they'll be steady enough and on par with other nights.
2.) Fact or Fiction: ABC’s The Rookie will become one of the most popular new fall dramas.
Fact. Fillion is a draw and the concept of the Rookie is intriguing enough to draw in viewers. There is no doubt this drama will be one of the hit, shall I say, rookie shows.
Dark UFO
Fact
Mads
Fact! Fillion is popular and The Rookie has a distinct, slick, Ryan Murphy meets Castle feel to it.
Milo M-J
Fact. Nathan Fillion is reliable as the lead, and he and ABC seem like the perfect match.
Katherine Meusey
Fact. I don't like Fillion as a performer or the show when I saw the premiere when I saw it earlier this summer, but ABC loves him and he has a huge fan base.
Sam Dinsmoor
Fact. I think Nathan Fillion has a strong enough fanbase to at least give them a hit first season.
Donna Cromeans:
FICTION – Personally I did not care for this show after watching this pilot. Fillion’s boyish charm can only carry him so far and I do not like this vehicle for him. He alienated lots of fans towards the end of Castle, and some will find it hard to come back to something he stars in.
JW Phillips:
FACT - It seems to fit in with some of the shows that have done well on ABC, and Fillion as a lead doesn't hurt.
Abi Baker:
Fiction - I honestly don't understand Nathan Fillion's draw as a lead. Some of the Castle viewers will surely turn up for the pilot but I haven't seen anything that would make it a 'hit'.
3.) Fact or Fiction: 'The Connors' will be just as successful without Roseanne's involvement.
Kollin Lore
Who needs Roseanne Barr? John Goodman is a capable lead, 'The Conners' will survive without her. FACT.
Dark UFO
Fact
Fact. Though I think the reboot never should have happened to begin with I do think people will follow it. That said, I think once the dust settles it will fade out too or become a wholly different show.
Milo-MJ
Fact, at least for the first few episodes. People will want to watch to see how it's handled without Rosanne. I wish they'd have just let it die, though.
Katherine Meusey:
Fiction. I think it will do well initially, but will flounder going forward. I'm interested in what they come up with, though.
Sam Dinsmoor:
3.) Fiction. In the first season of the continuation, the show lost half of the audience, and I don't see them regaining any ground with or in spite of Roseanne leaving.
Donna Cromeans
FACT – More than likely so as the show’s biggest assets are solid, some Emmy winning performers of the original show.\
JW Phillips:
FICTION - Only because of the wording of "just as successful." I think the show will do well and I am looking forward to watching it minus Roseanne. That being said, even WITH Roseanne, the show wasn't going to be as successul this season after the initial nostalgia had worn off. There was going to be a fall off in ratings with or without Roseanne. I think the show is going to be better without her, honestly and love that we'll still get John Goodman and Laurie Metcalf. And I imagine ratings will initially be big due to people wanting to see what it looks like without her, but in the end it will be slightly less "successful."
Abi Baker:
Fiction - The Conners will still be successful, but it won't have the monster ratings of the last season of Roseanne.
4.) Fact or Fiction: Last Man Standing will last more than one season on Fox.
Kollin Lore:
FACT. Fox is determined to make this work, and though Last Man Standing won't be a mega-hit, I think it will draw in enough viewers to earn a renewal.
DarkUFO:
Fact
Mads:
Fact (unfortunately) but it won’t do well critically.
Fact, as much as I want to see it fail. It feels like the perfect match for Fox and their audience.
Katherine Meusey:
Fact. It has a decent following already, and so does Allen.
Sam Dinsmoor:
Fact. Yeah, Fox isn't going to spend the money they did to bring it back just to only have it on for one season.
Donna Cromeans:
FICTION – Given the drama surrounding the revival of this show I think there is a lot of ill will out there for both Tim Allen. The reported rebooting/recasting to some seems to take away from the original concept which was successful.
JW Phillips:
FACT - One thing that I don't see getting talked about much is that fact that Fox signed a huge deal with WWE to air WWE Smackdown on FOX and it sounds like the plan is to still air it on Friday nights. That's the only reason I am not sure what the future will hold for Last Man Standing since it seems like a Friday night kind of show and that's where it has excelled on ABC. But I suspect it will perform well enough to merit a renewal, so it may end up slotted on another night next season.
Abi Baker:
Fact - Fox put in a lot of effort to revive and bring the Tim Allen show to their network and I just can't see them throwing it away that easily. Sure, it may not bring the ratings they hoped for, but I bet there's a financial incentive to keeping it for at least another year.
5.) Fact or Fiction: All of ABC's new dramas will debut soft but they will not pull any of them early or relocate them.
Kollin Lore
FICTION. A Million Little Things and The Rookie have huge potential to debut strong.
DarkUFO
Fiction
Fiction. I think A Million Little Things will be a surprise success and The Rookie will debut strong.
Milo-MJ
Fiction. Some will, but as echoed above, A Million Little Things has potential to cash in on the interest of This is Us fans and The Rookie has Castle fans to draw across, so I can see them beating expectations.
Katherine Meusey:
Fiction, but only because of The Rookie and A Million Little Things, which is so similar to This is Us. I'm more interested in how they handle the mid-season shows, although I think they'll let them run and just not renew them no matter how well they do.
Sam Dinsmoor:
Fiction. I can see The Rookie at least starting off with good ratings. I don't think any of their dramas will start off badly.
Donna Cromeans:
All of ABC's new dramas will debut soft but they will not pull any of them early or relocate them.
FACT – I personally do not think there is a break-out drama in what ABC is offering this fall. Their strongest pilot, IMO is being held for mid-season. Too many of the shows appear like remakes/rehashes of successful shows of the 80’s and 90’s and the network’s attempt to recapture that magic will not work.
JW Phillips:
FICTION: I don't think I can say Fact to this if I also said Fact to "The Rookie" being popular. Something will stand out and do well.
Abi Baker:
Fact - The Rookie may do decently but I think ratings will soon dwindle. ABC however will not pull anything.
6.) Fact or Fiction: The Good Doctor will remain ABC's top drama this season.
Kollin Lore:
Fiction. The Good Doctor had its glory and deservedly so, though I think it's reign on top on ABC will be a short one. The Rookie, behind the power of Nathan Fillion, will be a mega hit for The Alphabet Network and become their most watched drama.
DarkUFO:
Fact
Mads:
Fiction, I think it will still do well but might be usurped by AMLT or The Rookie.
Katherine Meusey:
Fiction. I think The Rookie or A Million Little Things could overtake it.
Fact. I think. It depends on how well the new shows do, but The Good Doctor'll be fine.
Sam Dinsmoor
Fact. I think The Good Doctor has built up a steady enough audience base that their ratings will stay the same at least, and I don't think any of their other shows will top it.
Donna Cromeans:
FACT – Given the cyclical nature of television, doctor shows will remain popular and The Good Doctor is one of the better made of the current crop airing.
JW Phillips:
FACT - For now anyway.
Abi Baker:
Fiction - Ratings have already started dwindly for The Good Doctor and Grey's Anatomy will once again be the top rated drama.
7.) Fact Or Fiction: An Arrowverse show will fall this year
Kollin Lore:
FACT
Dark UFO
Fact
Mads
Fiction. I don’t think DCTV is going anywhere any time soon. Even if one does, the CW is very good about giving shows ample time to wrap their endings due to their syndication deals with Netflix. If they gave their smaller shows like iZombie, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Jane the Virgin an entire seasons notice to end their storylines it stands to reason they would do the same for their headline shows.
Sam Dinsmoor:
Fiction. Nah, superheroes on The CW are here to stay for the foreseeable future. That's basically what Pedowitz said.
Donna Cromeans:
FACT – While the other superhero shows in the Arrowverse will remain strong, I think there is astrong possibility of the show that started it all, Arrow, will end this year. Some of their stories have become long in the tooth and the darkness that has marked the show from the beginning will overwhelm it.
JW Phillips:
FICTION: I don't think we're there yet - closest is probably Supergirl, but overall they are all pretty consistent and don't seem to be in any danger by CW Standards.
Abi Baker:
Fact - Arrow has had a long enough run and will end this season, or at least it should end this season.
8.) Fact Or Fiction: B99 will thrive on NBC, leading to an early renewal.
Kollin Lore:
Fact. Andy Samberg's return to NBC will indeed be a success. No more needs to be said
Dark UFO:
Fiction
Fact. NBC seems to be doing everything it can to ensure its success. Even if ratings aren’t amazing I’m assuming it will get at least 2-3 seasons there.
Milo-MJ
Fact. All the massive outpour in fan-love for B99 that we witnessed over the summer means it's not going anywhere, and NBC would be foolish to save it just for one season. They'll keep it around.
Katherine Meusey:
This had better be a fact :)
Donna Cromeans:
FACT – This is likely true given the passionate fan campaign that fought for the show’s survival
JW Phillips:
FACT: Not sure if thrive will be the right word, but it should be on par with the incumbant NBC comedies which should be enough to get it renewed.
Abi Baker:
Fact - Whilst I'm not entirely sure about an early renewal, I think having the episode count increased this early is definitely a good sign, and I believe the show will be renewed.
9.) Whisky Cavalier will join the ranks of shows that debuted with a strong first season (quality wise), drawing in a vocal fanbase, but ultimately cancelled after its first season.
Kollin Lore:
Sadly, this is a FACT. I don't think Whiskey Cavalier will resonate with the core ABC audience, despite it being a potentially fun show.
Mads:
Fact. I liked the Whiskey pilot but wonder if it’s sustainable long-term. It did remind me a little bit of Chuck though so I could see it garnering a passionate fanbase and being saved even if it does get cancelled.
Milo-MJ
Fact. It could be another Quantico though and squeeze out a few seasons before it dies.
Katherine Meusey:
Fact. I didn't much like the premiere, but it could surprise us.
Sam Dinsmoor:
Fact. Yeah, I think people will be interested in it enough for a while, but ratings will probably dwindle in the middle of the season and then go down from there.
Donna Cromeans:
FACT – This was one of the new drama pilots on ABC that I enjoyed the most. It is well-cast, well-acted and captures the irreverent charm of shows of this type, a la Castle and Hart to Hart in their early years. My question was why this show wasn’t on the fall schedule in the first place.
JW Phillips:
FACT: I could see a 2nd season only because of the lower ratings standards now, but I'm leaning towards Fact.
Abi Baker:
The star power is definitely there in the leads but I have the feeling that something just won't click or the fact that it's premiering mid-season will automatically lead to less interest. I definitely wouldn't be surprised if it only had one season.
Thanks for reading. Please discuss away your Fact or Fiction thoughts in the comments below!
