Shrew's News: New Show Pick Ups 2013

Its that time of year again, this week the broadcast networks (and a couple cable networks) revealed which pilots they are ordering to series along with their fall schedules. With so many cancellations this year, and only a handful of last year's new series returning, there were a large number of pick ups this year and many of them are following the cable model of shorter seasons (so there will be more shows than ever this year, some with fewer episodes, but fewer or no repeats throughout the season as a result). Below is a list of all the new shows, broken out by network, and their place on the schedule (if they have one yet), along with my own take on their quality (which is based on creator pedigree, premise/cast, and their brief trailers, which are linked to in the titles). Keep in mind though that with any new show it is difficult to make a final judgement until at least a few episodes have aired, as they can change significantly from their pilots and these trailers only provide a sample. **Upcoming new summer series aren't included here, but if you'd like me to add them post in the comments)

NBC:

The Blacklist (Mon at 10pm) - Stars James Spader as a notorious fugitive who turns himself in to the FBI, offering up the list of every criminal he has ever worked with one name at a time, including those they don't even know exist. The catch is that he will only speak to a rookie agent he seemingly has no connection to. Verdict: Apparently this was NBC's highest testing pilot ever, but that doesn't necessarily mean much. Spader oozes charisma, but it seems like this will largely be a procedural with a new criminal targeted each week. Future episodes will reveal if it can live up to its substantial hype.

Ironside (Wed at 10pm) - A remake of the 60s-70s procedural following a wheelchair-bound cop, this time starring Blair Underwood and Greek's Spencer Grammer. The trailer is filled with classic rule-breaking tough cop cliches (like dangling a guy from a roof) to such an eye-rolling degree that they might pop out of your head, so Underwood's appeal will have to carry the show. I predict it won't be enough to overcome the cynicism though.

The Michael J. Fox Show (Thu at 930pm) - Michael J. Fox returns to TV in a singe-camera (that means no live audience laugh track) family comedy which sets him as a former news anchor who was forced to take a leave of absence due to his Parkinson's diagnosis. There are a lot of light, easy jokes in the trailer, but Fox is still a delight and this one has a lot of potential to rise above its simple premise (and its already been picked up for a full 22-episode season).

Sean Saves the World (Thu at 9pm) - Sean Hayes (Will & Grace) stars in this multi-camera (that means yes laugh track) sitcom as a single gay dad who attempts to balance taking care of his teenage daughter and appeasing his demanding boss, played by Tom Lennon (Reno 911). The trailer makes this look largely like you would expect, obvious jokes an all, but there are a few glimmers of fresh comedy (the co-creator was behind the dearly departed Better Off Ted) so there may be hope, but I'm not too optimistic (though its broadness could keep it on the air).

Welcome to the Family (Thu at 830pm) - Focuses on a hispanic and caucasian family that are forced to come together as their teenage kids decide to get married after getting pregnant. Hilarious culture-clashing ensues! Or not, judging by the trailer. Of NBC's all new thursday night line-up (only Parks and Recreation remains of the old regime, airing at 8pm, though Community has been renewed as well), this seems to be the weakest link, with the most predictable and rehashed jokes. Don't get too attached.

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Chicago PD (mid-season) - A spin-off of one of the few freshman renewals, Chicago Fire, focusing on the police department. No trailer was released yet, and it doesnt have a spot on the schedule yet either. However, given the surprising (yet very modest) success of Fire, I wouldn't count it out.

Believe (Sun at 9pm, after football season) - Produced by J.J. Abrams and Alfonso Curon (Children of Men), this high-concept drama follows a young girl who is gifted with special and mysterious powers that will come into their own when she reaches a certain age. An ex-convict is tasked with protecting her from those who seek to exploit or harm her. No trailer for this one yet either, but based on the pedigree I'll remain optimistic, though its premise isn't stellar.

About a Boy (Tue at 9pm, but not until mid-season) - Based on the Hugh Grant movie, follows an immature bachelor (played by Perfect Couples' David Walton) who forms a bond with his crazy neighbor's (Minnie Driver) little boy. No trailer for this one yet, but since it is from the creator of NBC's Parenthood and Friday Night Lights I have high hopes, though its time-slot will be tough.

The Family Guide (Tue at 930pm, mid-season) - A young boy idolizes his blind father (played by J.K. Simmons), but he is dismayed that he will now be relying on a seeing-eye dog instead of his son, while his mother rediscovers her youth in the face of their divorce. Again no trailer for this one yet, but it sounds like a pretty original premise at least so I'm optimistic.

Crisis (Sun at 10pm after football season) - A national crisis erupts when a bus full of Washington DC students are abducted while on a field trip, and their parents include prominent CEOs, international diplomats, and the President. Its up to an FBI Agent played by Rachael Taylor to work with her CEO sister played by Gillian Anderson (X-Files) and reach out to a parent chaperone played by Dermot Mulroney who is ex-CIA. This is definitely a fresh concept, though the trailer makes it look and sound more like a movie, so the question will be if it can sustain as a weekly series.

Dracula (Fri at 10pm) - Stars Jonathon Rhys Myers (The Tudors) as the titular vampire, who moves to a Victorian London as an American entrepreneur with the underlying motive of exacting revenge on those that made him the way he is, but there is a complication when he meets a woman who seems to be the reincarnation of his dead wife. Its Revenge meets Vampire Diaries! what can go wrong? Seriously though, the trailer makes this look pretty decadent, and it could be a successful genre show following Grimm.

Crossbones (Fri at 10pm, when Dracula finishes its run) - NBC's second elaborately produced cable-style series (both this and Dracula received ten-episode orders) follows Blackbeard, played by John Malkovich(!), in the heyday of piracy on New Providence island where the first American democracy was established (?). No trailer on this yet, but pirates+Malkovich? This will have to be absolutely terrible to fail.

The Night Shift (mid-season) - Premise follows a hospital night shift, not much else to know about it really and no trailer yet so who knows how this'll do.

Undateable (mid-season) - A multi-camera comedy about a confident slacker who must take his "undateable" new roommate and his friends out to teach them how to make themselves appealing to women. No trailer, but pretty standard sounding and unexciting, but it is from Bill Lawrence (creator of Cougar Town and Scrubs) so maybe it will surprise.

FOX:

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Tue at 830pm) - Andy Samburg stars as a goofball Brooklyn detective who is used to getting away with anything, until Andre Braugher shows up as the new hard-ass boss in this single-camera comedy. If you don't like Samburg or his ridiculousness then this might not be for you, but since its from the creators of Parks and Recreation there's a lot of potential for this to become more than just wacky (though admittedly humorous) antics in a police precinct.

Dads (Tue at 8pm) - Produced by Seth MacFarlane and created by one of his Family Guy writers, this mutli-camera sitcom follows two video game executives/roommates played by Seth Green and Giovanni Ribisi whose imposing fathers decide to move in with them. I'm not a fan of Family Guy, but the trailer for this actually had me more entertained than I thought I would be. I chalk it up to the actors more than the writing though, so time will tell if this show can rise above its old fashioned sitcom premise and lame one-liners.

Almost Human (Mon at 8pm, after baseball season) - From J.J. Abrams and the producer of Fringe comes a procedural set 35 years in the future where every cop is paired up with a mandatory robotic partner to ensure rational by-the-book behavior. One cop (played by Star Trek's Karl Urban) resists the assignment after losing a leg in a previous incident, and generally preferring to do things his own way. However, since there are no more of the latest robots available, he is forced to partner up with a previous model that was designed to be more human (played by Michael Ealy). Essentially, a cop with a robotic appendage and a robot with human instincts team up to solve crimes. I get a big I, Robot vibe from this, but more like what I, Robot should have been, because frankly the production values in the trailer makes this look awesome.

Sleepy Hollow (Mon at 9pm) - When a mysterious headless man on a horse begins reeking havoc in a small town, Ichabod Crane is resurrected to provide some insight into the situation, as he was tasked by George Washington to kill the aforementioned horseman who is apparently one of the four horseman of the apocalypse. Crane then teams up with local police to solve additional crimes involving the supernatural, with plenty of fish-out-of-water/"I'm from the past!" jokes thrown in for good measure. This looks just about as ridiculous as it sounds, I'll be surprised if it can rise above it.

Enlisted (Fri at 930pm, after baseball season) - An impressive soldier is put in charge of a floundering troop that includes his two enthusiastic, but incompetent brothers in this single-camera comedy. A lot of easy jokes in the trailer, but actually found myself laughing at the trailer for this classic premise, perhaps because it comes from the co-creator of Cougar Town.

Surviving Jack (mid-season) - Based on the biographical book I Suck at Girls by the author of Shit My Dad Says, this single-camera comedy stars Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: SVU) as a gruff father who must take a larger role in his teenage daughter and son's lives, all set in 1991. The trailer focuses on the relationship between the son and his father Jack, and they both do a great job in the roles. Another show from Bill Lawrence, so my hopes are high.

Gang Related (sometime next May) - Stars Lost's Terry O'Quinn as the head of an anti-gang task force in Los Angeles, but centers on two partners (one played by the RZA), one of whom is actually in the pocket of of the most notorious gang leaders. The trailer doesn't show much, but this shows a lot of promise with a  fresh focus on gang related crime and a Departed-style serialized plot revolving around the mole.

Us & Them (mid-season) - A remake of British sitcom Gavin & Stacey, which follows two lovers who struggle to maintain their relationship in the face of long-distance, as well as their own outrageous friends and overbearing family members. The trailer seems fun enough, fitting well in tone with New Girl, and stars Jason Ritter (Mark on Parenthood) and Alexis Bledel (Gilmore Girls) are immensely likeable so it could do well.

Rake (Thu at 9pm, mid-season) - The title doesn't really make any sense for this Australian remake (its not even the character's name) that is essentially House as a lawyer in LA, but it stars Greg Kinnear in various states of disarray as the aforementioned lawyer who is brilliant at helping his clients but can't seem to help himself. The trailer is amusing and catches my interest, but it is still pretty boilerplate and predictable considering the premise. Still, with Kinnear, it could end up being just as big of a hit as House was.

ABC:

Trophy Wife (Tue at 930pm) - Single-camera comedy starring Malin Akerman (who you should recognize from various things) as a former-party-girl-turned-third wife of a wealthy father played by Bradley Whitford (West Wing), who must learn how to care for his three manipulative kids and cope with his two demanding ex-wives (Marcia Gay Harden plays the older disapproving one and Michaela Watkins plays the younger naive one). This is the new comedy I'm most looking forward to. The premise and cast are solid, the creators are relatively fresh but talented comedic voices, and the trailer had me invested while making me laugh at various gags (this should have been given the post-Modern Family easy-success slot).

The Goldbergs (Tue at 9pm) - Single-camera comedy that centers on a Jewish family in the 80s, as told through the camera lens of their youngest son (its semi-autobiographical). Jeff Garlin (Curb Your Enthusiasm) stars as the short-tempered father and Wendi-McLendon-Covey (Reno 911, Bridesmaids) is the shrill no-nonsense mother. There was a lot of buzz over this one, but the trailer just portrays them as a family that yells a lot. Like a lot a lot. The gimmick of having the son hold the camera is an interesting idea, but the trailer makes it seem like the show won't always stick to that viewpoint (there are various shots of the kid himself, some with him even holding the camera?). The cast is good, but the creator's past work doesn't have me feeling too optimistic so we'll see.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Tue at 8pm) - An action-procedural from Marvel and Joss Whedon centering on agents in the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, who of course handle various super powered issues on a daily basis without help from the more famous Avengers. Led by a mysteriously resurrected Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg), the rest of the team is completely new to the Marvel Universe, and the creators have said the series will predominantly feature lower tier characters from the comics and wholly new ones. With gifted TV veteran Whedon producing (and directing the first episode), this series has a lot of potential to be more than just the massive hit it most likely will be.

Super Fun Night (Wed at 930pm) - Created by and starring Rebel Wilson, this single-camera sitcom (it was originally piloted as a multi-camera comedy for CBS last year) follows three nerdy/socially awkward girls who always spend Friday nights together at one of their apartments. This all changes when Kimmie (Wilson) gets a promotion at her law firm and is invited to a club party by a cute new coworker, prompting her to push her friends to join her and take their super fun night on the road. Shenanigans and misadventures ensue. Watching the trailer, you can see how this was originally envision with a laugh track as the jokes are extremely broad and predictable. ABC is betting big on Rebel Wilson's recently attained star power, and in general I count myself a fan of hers, but the trailer just makes this look very disappointing (and Rebel's American accent is not holding together, just let her be Australian). Unfortunately this is the show thats getting the plum post-Modern Family slot, which seems like a mis-match in tone regardless of how good the show ultimately ends up being.

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (Thu at 8pm) - As you might have guessed, this is a spin off of Once Upon a Time centering around the titular Alice. The trailer is intriguingly trippy, with present-day Alice trapped in a mental institution amidst flashbacks to Wonderland, but they lost me when Alice's soulmate turns out to be... the Genie from Aladdin? I know the original Once is based on fairy tale crossovers, but I don't think of Wonderland as a fairytale really, and their love story seemed pretty ridiculous to me.

The Black Box (no date yet) - Mystery-filled drama that centers on Elizabeth Black, world renowned neuroscientist who appears to have it all but is constantly haunted by her own struggle with mental illness. this was a straight-to-series order so there's no cast set yet.

Betrayal (Sun at 10pm) - Another one word soap to follow Revenge, Betrayal centers on photographer Sara who begins an affair with young attorney Jack, whose boss/father-in-law's son is accused of murder. Jack steps up to defend him, but the leading prosecutor is actually Sara's politically ambitious husband who needs this high profile case to advance his career. And I'm sure it will only get twistier from there. I'm not at all the target audience for a show like this, but its buzz is good and if you like Scandal or Revenge you'll probably love this.

Back in the Game (Wed at 830pm) - Maggie Lawson (Jules from Psych) stars as a single mom Terry Jr. who has to move back in with her gruff estranged father Terry Sr. (James Caan), a former baseball player. Terry herself has given up baseball after losing her college scholarship, but her son wants to play, even though he's not good enough to make the team. Terry Jr. volunteers to coach a team of the other rejects so they can all get to play. Lots of Bad News Bears/Little Giants style jokes about misfit kids and classic one-liners from the opinionated dad, but they all work pretty well despite their obviousness. In ABC's family comedy line up, this feels like it could be a hit.

Lucky 7 (Tue at 10pm) - A remake that centers on six gas station attendees who win the lottery and the seventh who picked the worst week to not buy his ticket. Likely a deep character study, the show will reveal how their lives change (and presumably feature flashbacks to reveal their past) as a result of their winning. This looks and sounds pretty interesting, but it will live and die by the strength of its characters and the actors playing them (similar to Lost in that way). I'm optimistic about it, but its in a tough time slot and it will be tricky for it to lure a big audience based on its premise.

Resurrection (mid-season) - An eight-year old boy wakes up in a field in China and is taken back home to America by an immigration agent. However when he arrives at his house, his parents reveal that their son had died 30 years ago, but the boy seems to know details about his life and death that no one else could know. Those close to the family struggle to unravel the mystery surrounding the boys appearance, and whether their loved ones can return as well. Its an interesting premise and based on the trailer, its much more family drama than zombie apocalypse, so at the very least its a refreshing take on the genre.

Mind Games (mid-season) - A procedural about two brothers, one is a bipolar psychologist who is a genius in human behavior (Steve Zahn) and the other is an ex-convict who is a master con-man (Christian Slater), who set up an agency as manipulators for hire. As one of the main characters describes it, they change people's minds by manipulating situations using psychological and behavioral principles ("Like Jedi mind tricks exactly!"). Essentially, it is a weekly television series of Inception minus the fictionalized dream technology. Not much from Slater in the trailer, but Zahn looks like he's having a ball with his wacky character and if the rest of the series can keep up with him, it should be some fun, light entertainment (reminds me very much of a USA show).

Mixology (mid-season) - A high concept singe-camera comedy that has ten stars, all playing patrons of a local bar looking for love (or sex), with the entire season taking place over the course of one night. The concept is interesting, if only to see how they accomplish it (I expect many flashbacks), but it really just looks like a generic rom-com that features a large cast of characters whose lives end up intertwining. Who knows if that means it will be great or terrible.

Killer Women (mid-season) - Stars Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica, Burn Notice) as the first female Texas Ranger. The trailer portrays this kind of like an old school exploitation flick (which matches with the title), while the law enforcement branch being focused on is also pretty original. However, time will tell if this is an exciting neo-western like Justified, or just another boiler-plate procedural.

CBS:

The Crazy Ones (Thu at 9pm) - Stars Robin Williams as... Robin Williams essentially. His name alone should tell you if you're interested in watching this single-camera sitcom which stars Williams as an advertising "genius" who works with his daughter, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar. The show is created by David E. Kelly (Ally McBeal, Boston Legal) and kind of plays like Mad Men as a comedy. Most of the cast seems to be overshadowed by Williams, but James Wolk (Happy Endings, Mad Men) seems to be able to riff right along with him so maybe this can rise above simply being "The Robin Williams Show."

Mom (Mon at 930pm) - Multi-camera comedy starring Anna Faris as the newly sober mother of a little boy and a teenage girl, who struggles to reinvent herself and move past bad decisions like her slacker ex-husband. She also struggles to put up with her irresponsible mother (Allison Janney) who returns to try and be part of her daughter and grandchildren's lives. Produced by Chuck Lorre (Big Bang Theory, Two and Half Men, Mike & Molly), this sitcom is a no-brainer for success, with a great cast and a tone that fits in perfectly with its 2 Broke Girls lead-in.

Hostages (Mon at 10pm) - Another serialized thriller involving kidnapping and politics, this one is also billed as  "part family drama" and centers on a prominent surgeon (Toni Collette) who is about to operate on the President. Things take a turn though when her family is kidnapped and held hostage by a man (Dylan McDermott) who wants her to make sure POTUS doesn't survive the procedure. This continuous story is a big swing for CBS, known as the procedural network (they're taking a similar risk with this summer's Under the Dome), but their plan to air all 15 episodes of the series uninterrupted by repeats should help and buzz on the pilot (produced by people who worked on Homeland is great so this could be big if it maintains quality.

Intelligence (Mon at 10pm, after Hostages finishes its run) - An action-packed procedural starring Josh Holloway (Sawyer from Lost) as a special agent who has been implanted with a microchip in his brain so he can access the entire electronic spectrum (internet, cellphones, etc.) and Marg Helgenberger (CSI) as his US Cyber Command boss. Its kind of like Chuck, but without the goofy comedy. Hopefully some comedy will come out as it establishes itself, because the characters in the trailer come across as kind of dull (hopefully Holloway will eventually incorporate the rakish charm he used to such great affect on Lost because right now he seems horribly miscast in this generic action role). The exposition is also kind of eye-rolling-ly blatant ("All the intel I have access to, I can see it. Its like a virtual evidence wall"-- a gimmick that will clearly become the series' bread and butter). Again pilots are often uneven, especially for procedurals, so this very well could turn out to be quality entertainment, but at the very least it should still be successful in a Hawaii Five-O way.

The Millers (Thu at 830pm) - Multi-camera comedy starring Will Arnett as a man whose recent divorce inspire his father (Beau Bridges) to leave his mother, played by Margo Martindale (Mags on Justified, Claudia on The Americans). As a result, his mom moves in with him while his dad moves in with his sister (the role is being recast) and old school predictable sitcom tropes ensue. Given the cast involved, this should be much better than it looks, but it aims to be a more classically styled laugh-track sitcom so I don't know if it will be. However, the scene of Arnett's job as a local reporter (along with his cameraman played by Curb Your Enthusiasm's J.B. Smoove) does show more promise, and the show's creator is Greg Garcia (My Name is Earl, Raising Hope) so there may still be hope for this one.

We Are Men (Mon at 830pm) - Single-camera comedy that follows a recently divorced man who moves into an apartment complex with other divorcees who show him how to live. The divorcees are played by Jerry O'Connel (who has been in like 10 series that could get past a first season), Kal Penn (Harold & Kumar), and Tony Shaloub (Monk). A pretty simple premise that hinges on original writing to succeed, and judging by the trailer, it doesn't quite have it (it kind of stole Happy Endings' opening of having a bride ditcha  groom, and the whole premise is a lot like TV Land's The Exes). I predict this will be CBS' comedy miss of the fall.

Bad Teacher (mid-season) - A single-camera comedy based on the recent Cameron Diaz movie about a degenerate former trophy wife turned lazy middle-school teacher who is just trying to find a rich husband. Stars Ari Graynor (For a Good Time, Call...) in the title role, with Ryan Hansen (Party Down) as her gym teacher buddy plus Kristen Davis (Sex and the City) and Sara Gilbert (Roseanne) as more serious teachers, and David Alan Grier as the principle. I didn't see the movie, and there's no trailer yet, but this could work well as a weekly series, and Graynor is awesome so I'm optimistic.

Reckless (mid-season) - Two South Carolina lawyers and courtroom rivals must hide their intense mutual attraction amidst a police sex scandal in their city. No trailer for this one yet, but the logline is an eye-roller. There's always a chance this could be the next Good Wife though, so we'll just have to wait and see.

Friends with Better Lives (mid-season) - A multi-camera comedy about six friends all in different stages in their lives who are each convinced the other one has it better. This boiler-plate premise features James Van Der Beek, Brooklyn Decker, and Kevin Connolly (Entourage) in its cast. Without a trailer, there's no way to judge such a generic premise, so we'll see how this is when it premieres.

CW:

The Tomorrow People (Wed at 9pm) - A remake of a British series about people who have special abilities like the  main character, teenager Stephen (played by Robbie Amell, cousin of the star of Arrow, the show that will lead in to this) who has been teleporting in his sleep. He meets others belonging to his newly discovered race, but also runs afoul of a paramilitary group of scientists with mysterious intentions. This is a classic concept (Heroes, Alphas, X-Men) that can work when done right, and this one seems to be a reasonably fresh take at least, so maybe it can succeed.

Reign (Thu at 9pm) - A historical drama about Mary, Queen of Scots, who began her rule as a teenager. Very ripe concept for the CW audience, who should enjoy a soapy romantic costume drama (aka bodice-ripper), but it will likely hinge on the performance of its star.

The 100 (mid-season) - Based on a book, this show is set in a post-apocalyptic future where humanity has abandoned the toxic earth to live in space, a group of 100 teenage delinquents are sent back down to recolonize and test the environment. It plays kind of silly, but the concept is pretty original and there could be some intriguing mysteries. Essentially its Lord of the Flies meets Wall-E.

The Originals (Tue at 8pm) - A spin-off of The Vampire Diaries centering on Klaus and his family of original vampire/werewolves/witches/etc. You already know if you want to watch this.

Star-Crossed (mid-season) - Seventeen humanoid aliens are stranded on earth and face public outcry as they are about to be mainstreamed into a high school. Naturally, they just look like attractive young people, only with strange tattoos that crawl along their necks and faces. One alien and one human student fall in love, causing further complication (or an easy solution?) to the situation. Looks pretty ridiculous to me, but maybe it will appeal to romance enthusiasts.

TNT:

Legends (no date yet) - Stars Sean Bean as a government agent who is exceptionally skilled at becoming any identity for his job. Things begin to unravel though when he meets someone who tells him that the identity  and life he believes to be his own are not actually real. High action and intrigue in this one, kind of like Bourne Identity meets Human Target (I think future episodes may take a more procedural approach as he helps other people while trying to solve the central mystery).

The Last Ship (no date yet) - A U.S. Naval ship on assignment in the antarctic receives a transmission informing them that the rest of the world has fallen to a deadly viral outbreak, leaving them as humanity's last hope to find out what caused the outbreak and how to cure it. Fortunately they have a mysterious scientist on board whose work is related to the virus, along with their steadfast captain (Grey's Anatomy's Eric Dane) and his opinionated second-in command (Adam Baldwin of Chuck and Firefly). Produced by Michael Bay, this one kind of feels like a more coherently plotted Last Resort (the new submarine drama ABC canceled last fall).

Lost Angels (no date yet) - Created by Frank Darabont (The Walking Dead), this project was formerly titled LA Noir and is set in 1940s Los Angeles. In true noir fashion it follows the police who are trying to combat the organized crime that has a firm hold on the city. Stars Jon Bernthal (Walking Dead) as a detective, Neal McDonough (Justified) as real-life chief William Parker, and Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes) as a lawyer/fixer for the mob who served in WWII with Bernthal's character.

TBS:

Ground Floor (2014) - A third sitcom order for Bill Lawrence, this multi-camera comedy follows the a corporate banker who discovers his one-night stand actually works maintenance for his office building. Romeo & Juliet style hijinks ensue as the two must navigate their growing attraction around annoying coworkers and critical bosses. TBS' other laugh track comedies (Men at Work, Sullivan & Son) are eh, but still successful, and this one's pedigree could push it ahead of the pack.

USA:

Sirens (no date yet) - With Modern Family repeats coming to the network this fall, USA is looking to get into original comedies as well (and there's still a chance they will save Happy Endings). This single-camera comedy produced by Dennis Leary follows three paramedics who make a mess of everything, except when it comes to saving lives in their job. I've heard good things about the pilot/script, but no footage revealed yet.

Playing House (no date yet) - From Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair (creators and stars of NBC's very short lived BFF last year), the two also star in this single-camera comedy, centers on a pregnant woman whose husband is gone so she gets her best friend to move back to town and into her home to help her raise her child. No footage yet, but BFF was pretty good and this should be very similar.

Paging Dr. Freed (not yet picked up, but looking good) - Stars Kyle Howard (My Boys, Royal Pains) and Joel David Moore (Bones, Avatar) as two brothers who pick up there father's gynecology practice after he suffers a heart attack, and must deal with their neurotic mother as well.

Horizon (hasn't filmed a pilot yet, but I'm calling it that this is picked up eventually) - Centers on an FBI secretary during WWII who discovers that her husband may have been killed in a battle with a spaceship in the south pacific. Big pedigree in this one, coming from prominent Walking Dead producer Gale Ann Heard.

HBO:

Hello Ladies (Sun at 10pm starting 9/29) - Comedy series created by and starring Stephen Merchant (Ricky Gervais' manager on Extras and long-time collaborator) as a gawky Englishman search for the woman of his dreams in LA, despite the fact that he's half as charming as he thinks he is and twice as desperate. Very excited for this one.

Clear History (Sat 8/10) - This is actually a movie, but it stars Larry David and features the same brand of improv he employs on Curb Your Enthusiasm (and this is what he's been doing instead of getting started on a new season of that). Larry plays a frustrated engineer who quits his job just before they all make billions, so years later he plots revenge on his former partner (Jon Hamm). 

True Detective (2014) - Stars Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson as two detectives who are involved in a 17-year manhunt for a serial killer in Louisiana. The show will feature a split-narrative, jumping back and forth between the case's opening in 1995 and its re-opening in present day. Future seasons will feature all-new cases and storylines, and perhaps even a new cast as well. 

Silicon Valley (no date yet) - Created by Mike Judge (Office Space, King of the Hill), the title should give away the focus of this comedy series, which follows the people who are most qualified to succeed but least capable of handling success. Stars T.J. Miller (Our Idiot Brother).

Untitled San Francisco (no date yet) - Centers on three guys in San Francisco who explore the fun, but sometimes overwhelming options available to the new generation of gay men. Sounds kind of like Girls, aside from the obvious differences. Stars Jonathan Groff (Glee).

SHOWTIME:

Masters of Sex (September) - Based on their written biography, this drama centers on Dr. Howell Masters (Michael Sheen) and Virginia Johnson (Party Down's Lizzy Caplan), who pioneered modern research into the nature of sexual response in the 1960s.

FXX:

Chozen (no date yet) - This is the first new show for the upcoming spin-off channel of FX (which will launch this fall as the new home of Its Always Sunny, The League, and Legit). An animated comedy from the creators of Eastbound & Down and animators of Archer, Chozen follows a gay white rapper after his release from prison.


-----Updated trailers and new shows will be added as they come in-----