I do not get to screen new shows, so my first impressions are usually based on the description, first trailer, and reviews from trusted TV journalists. Sometimes I am completely wrong, and sometimes I find something that I love. It was actually a little harder this year to pick eight new shows because I am not that excited about most of the new Fall line-up, but these are the shows that I am definitely going to check out. There may be a few others that I add, and a few that drop off after the first episode, so keep an eye on my Currently Watching page to see what I stick with.
1. Star Trek: Discovery, premieres September 24th on CBS then moves to CBS All-Access, stars Sonequa Martin-Green, Jason Isaacs, Michelle Yeoh, Rainn Wilson, Terry Serpico, Doug Jones, Shazad Latif, Maulik Pancholy, Anthony Rapp, Kenneth Mitchell, Clare McConnell, Damon Runyan, Rekha Sharma, Sam Vartholomeos, Mary Wiseman, and Wilson Cruz. Ten years before Kirk, Spock and the Enterprise, the USS Discovery explores new worlds and lifeforms as one Starfleet officer learns to understand all things alien. I have never watched any of the other Star Trek series but I enjoy the most recent movies, and I love the cast, so I will give it a try.
2. SEAL Team, premieres September 27th on CBS, stars David Boreanaz, Max Thieriot, Neil Brown Jr., AJ Buckley, Toni Trucks, and Jessica Paré. The lives of the elite Navy SEALs as they train, plan and execute dangerous, high-stakes missions for our country. Deployed on clandestine missions worldwide at a moment’s notice, and knowing the toll it takes on them and their families, this tight-knit SEAL team displays unwavering patriotism and fearless dedication even in the face of overwhelming odds. It looks like it will have a pretty standard procedural format, but I like to mix those kinds of shows in with my more serialized dramas. There are several new military shows coming out this Fall, and I will probably check out most of them, but this is the one that has the most promise.
3. Will & Grace, premieres September 28th on NBC, stars Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Sean Hayes, and Megan Mullally. This is technically not a new show, but because it has been off the air for ten years, I am counting it as new. In the original series finale, Will and Grace had lost touch as they started new families of their own. However, that ending will be completely ignored when the show returns. Jack and Karen will be back in their original homes, and Will and Grace will have moved back in together. I honestly have not watched this show since it went off the air, but I am excited for it to return.
4. The Gifted, premieres October 2nd on Fox, stars Stephen Moyer, Amy Acker, Sean Teale, Jamie Chung, Coby Bell, Emma Dumont, Blair Redford, Natalie Alyn Lind, and Percy Hynes White. Based on character from Marvel’s X-Men universe, this new series centers around a suburban couple who discover that their children possess mutant powers. They are forced to go on the run, and end up joining an underground network of mutants fighting to survive. There are also several new comic book-based shows coming out this year, and I may give a few of them a try, but this one looks the most interesting. I like the cast, and it has a darker tone, which will hopefully help ground the show a little bit.
Last Wednesday, April 23rd, was Administrative Professionals Day. In the spirit of recognizing all the hardworking office support staffs out there (myself included), I made a list of my favorite TV assistants.
1. White House Staffers Donna Moss, Margaret Hooper and Dolores Landingham – The West Wing played by Janel Moloney, NiCole Robinson and Kathryn Joosten, I could not decide which was the best of the three so I included them all. They each had their own quirks and strengths, but were always loyal and always did their jobs well. I could have posted many great clips of each of them, but I think this is my favorite:
2. Donna Paulsen – Suits played by Sarah Rafferty, she is perceptive and witty and always knows what is going on with everyone at Pearson Specter. She has been with Harvey since he was at the D.A.’s office and pretty much runs his life. She also always has the best lines.
3. Karen Walker – Will & Grace played by Megan Mullally, she did not need to work because her husband was a millionaire and she never really did anything, but she used her job to get away from her family and she had lots of social connections for Grace. She also enjoyed pointing out all of Grace’s flaws.
4. Elaine Vassal – Ally McBeal played by Jane Krakowski, she was overtly sexual and the inventor of the face bra, among other things, and while her relationship with Ally was initially combative, they eventually became friends.
My TV Family 