Penfold_X's Fandom Journal

Fire up the DVR, baby! There's so much new genre programming coming this year, I can't wait to dive in.

Must-Squee TV
NCIS (September 24, CBS, Tue@8)
Person of Interest (September 24, CBS, Tue@10)
Supernatural (October 8, CW, Tues@9)

Also Recording
Big Bang Theory (September 26, CBS, Thur@8)
Blue Bloods (September 27, CBS, Fri@10)
Bones (September 16, FOX, Mon@8, moving to Fri@8 on 11/8)
Castle (September 23, ABC, Mon@10)
Hawaii 5-0 (September 27, CBS, Fri@9)
NCIS:LA (September 24, CBS, Tue@9)
Sons of Anarchy (September 10, FX, Tue@10)
The Walking Dead (October 13, AMC, Sun@9)

Auditioning
Agents of SHIELD (September 24, Tues@8)
Almost Human (November 4, FOX, Mon@8)
Dracula (October 25, NBC, Fri@10)
Hostages (September 23, CBS, Mon@10)
Reign (October 17, CW, Thurs@9)
Sleepy Hollow (September 16, FOX, Mon@9)
The Tomorrow People (October 9, CW, Wed@9)

On the Bubble
Elementary (September 26, CBS, Thurs@10)
Revolution (September 25, NBC, Wed@8)

Contra last year, I'm excited for the new fall season. A record seven new fall shows are on my radar, with an interest level between 'looks promising' and 'shivering with anticipation". Like, I suspect, most fangirls, I'm most excited about Agents of SHIELD. I'd be deeply skeptical about a movie spin-off, except for the involvement of Joss Whedon and Jeffrey Bell; Marvel is apparently taking pains to ensure the timeline meshes with the unfolding Cinematic Universe, something they seem to take very seriously. Close seconds on my list are The Tomorrow People and Almost Human. I enjoyed the original 70s Tomorrow People series, which lifted itself above superhero tropes by giving its evolutionarily enhanced teens a serious limitation: they could never use their power for violence. The CW seems like the right home for a Tomorrow People reboot, but if the kids aren't bound by the same moral code, I suspect the series will be flashy but ultimately unfulfilling. And Almost Human? There's nothing I don't like about buddy cop shows. Set one in the future starring Karl Urban in a quasi-Alien Nation scenario? I am so there.

Sleepy Hollow and Dracula look to have the potential for campy fun. In Sleepy Hollow, the headless horseman is back to terrorize upstate New York, and only the mysteriously appearing Ichobad Crane can hunt him down (already bought my popcorn). Dracula is a 10-episode limited series starring Jonathan Rhys-Myers as the dark prince himself, set to wreak havoc in Victorian London (already bought extra butter for the popcorn). Hostages is another limited series, though this one is a straight drama; looks like it has the potential to be tight and gripping. Reign... looks like The Tudors without the intellect. Dude, don't judge me.

And that's not all; there are several additional promising genre shows that are coming in the mid-season, including J.J. Abrams' Believe, Intelligence (Chuck, as a drama), The 100 (CW's attempt to capitalize on the YA dystopian novel trend) and Star-Crossed (Twilight, Roswell and Alien Nation, pureed together).

And of course, there's great stuff coming to us from the UK: Sherlock S3 wrapped filming Sunday and will probably air this fall or winter, Whitechapel's S4 is beginning its UK airing this week (no word yet on whether BBCA will pick it up again or when), Luther S3 is being presented mini-series style this week on BBCA, Silk S1 and S2 are currently airing on Masterpiece Mystery!, and Endeavour S1 just finished on the same.

It's such a relief, after the lackluster 2012-13 season and long, vacant summer. Revolution could not have been more disappointing. The premise is fantastic, and many of the secondary actors did great work, but it's almost impossible to overcome the terrible casting of the lead; the story centers around her journey, yet I constantly wished she were off-screen, and the story could spend more time with the adults. And it certainly didn't help that Katniss Charlie rarely demonstrated any skill with a bow or other martial skills. Basically, Revolution failed to address the problems that were evident early in the season and compounded their problems with some meandering and weak episodes in the middle of the run.

The other new show I stuck with last year,Elementary, also failed to move beyond my early assessment; the 'mysteries' are deeply implausible and there's nothing in the writing or visual style of the show to distinguish it from CBS's myriad other crime dramas. But most of all, I just don't buy Elementary's characterization of Holmes. The show could be enjoyable if the writers picked up their game, but with a lot of competition this year, it's going to be easy to start deleting Elementary unwatched.