The TVaholic Previews...

Hulu’s Chance

Chance is based on the novel of the same name by Kem Nunn, which is a psychological thriller that focuses on a San Francisco-based forensic neuropsychiatrist who slowly gets sucked into a violent and dangerous world of mistaken identity, police corruption and mental illness. He makes the decision to help an alluring patient who seemingly is struggling with a multiple personality disorder and that puts him in the crosshairs of her abusive spouse, who is also police detective. Things begin to spiral has he also deals with his impending divorce and teenage daughter.

This is a slow mover, but it draws you in quickly. The opening vignettes of past patients really get you into the headspace of Dr. Chance and why he might be end up on the path he ends up on. From top to bottom the cast is great and are all doing good work, but I really like seeing Adelstein as a menacing police detective. I mean, I don’t like the character, but after seeing him in more sarcastic jokey roles recently, it fun watching him return to something more like his Kellerman character from Prison Break. I’ve only seen the first two episodes, but there are some tense scenes with him and Laurie and I can only imagine it gets more so given where things seem to be heading. I look forward to watching the rest and seeing where the mysteries that have arisen thus far go.

Does Hulu’s Chance sound like something you’ll want to plan on watching when it premieres Wednesday, October 19th?

Listen and then let me know what you think in the comments or via Twitter @theTVaholic.

Julianne Nicholson in USA Network’s Eyewitness – (Photo by: Christos Kalohoridis/USA Network)

Eyewitness is a 10-episode anthology series based on a Norwegian crime thriller. It follows two teenage boys that witness a triple-homicide. They decide not to tell anyone, since one doesn’t want anyone to know what they were doing there. Yet, it looks like someone walked away from the massacre and they are looking to silence anyone that may have seen them. Meanwhile, the sheriff begins investigating, but finds she keeps bumping up against an FBI case that is connected.

While I haven’t watched a lot of Norwegian TV, or any at all really, this did remind me of some of the British cop dramas I have liked, like Broadchurch. It has a similar feel in its pacing, how it is shot and how the story unfolds. The cinematography is excellent, as it really gives you a sense of place. The cast for the most part is really good. I’ve always liked Nicholson and continue to here, as she and Bellows play well off of each other, as does she and Murray, she and Young, and she and Jones. But, not everything is good though. Paxton’s Lukas falls into the annoying teenager category and some side characters are kind of over-the-top. Overall it’s very good, unlike USA Network’s other recent offering, Falling Water, I was in after the first episode. But, watched two more before doing this preview and I look forward to checking out the remaining seven. I also like that given it’s an anthology, we are going to get resolution to the story. And, if it does well, we could get another season that would follow another case, set in another place, with a new eyewitness. And, even if it were to fall off a cliff in the second season like HBO’s True Detective, we’ll still have what looks to be an excellent first season that can stand on its own.

Does USA Network’s Eyewitness sound like something you’ll want to watch when it premieres Sunday, October 16th?

Listen and then let me know what you think in the comments or via Twitter @theTVaholic.

Lizzie Brochere in USA Network’s – (Photo: Giovanni Rufino/USA Network)

Falling Water is an intersection between reality and unconscious thought. It plays off the idea of that many have wondered of whether the events in our dreams are trying to tell us something? Here we follow the story of three unrelated people, who slowly realize that they are dreaming separate parts of a single common dream. Each is on a quest for something that can only be found in their subconscious. However, the more they begin to use the dream world as a tool to advance their quests, the more they realize that their visions are trying to tell them something more, and that their real lives may hang in the balance.

I was very interested in this one going in, given USA Network’s new direction with shows like Mr. Robot. So much so, that I stood in line, outside, for almost an hour at San Diego Comic-Con to watch the premiere episode, “Don’t Tell Bill,” with about a 1000 others. The vast majority of which were interested in seeing it as well, as the room had mostly emptied out from the previous panel and did so again after this was over. I was hoping it would give me some questions to ask the executive producers in the pressroom, but it only left me confused. Seems I was not the only one, as the episode received a tepid response with a smattering of courteous applause followed by a pretty quiet exit from the audience. This is not the response you get from something that has engrossed the crowd. And not the response you want from a group of people that are more likely than the average TV fan to like this type of show. After listening to the producers talk about the premise and how they are not trying to trick you. That they have provided the cues to help you learn the language of the show, so you will be able to follow what is a dream and what is reality. It made me feel like I had missed something, cause I got lost halfway through and having subsequently watched the second episode, don’t feel I am much better off. The premise is very interesting and there are some really good performances, I could watch Brochere all day long. I do sort of have a feel after two episodes, as to what each is looking for and how things might connect in the future, but not sure I will continue on with this one. It may be trying to follow in the footsteps of Mr. Robot, but I think it stumbles out of the gate. There is being confusingly intriguing and then there is this, which is confusingly not.

Does USA Network’s Falling Water sound like something you’ll want to pick up when it premieres Thursday, October 13th? Or, you can watch the Falling Water premiere online now and see for yourself.

Listen and then let me know what you think in the comments or via Twitter @theTVaholic.

Katy Mixon and Julia Butters in ABC’s American Housewife – (Cr. ABC/Eric McCandless)

American Housewife is family comedy narrated by a strong-willed and unapologetic wife and mother of three raising her flawed family in the wealthy town of Westport, CT that is seemingly filled with perfect moms and their perfect offspring.

Was very interested in this one going in, with Mixon and Bader in the leads and Leslie Bibb (Popular) in a recurring role. I’ve liked them all in previous things and ABC has been on quite a hot streak in the family comedy category with the very funny Speechless joining the ABC lineup this year and recent funny additions like black-ish, Fresh Off the Boat and The Goldbergs and now long running stalwarts The Middle and Modern Family. But, this one just missed the mark. Unlike Speechless that finds its humor around a differently-abled child, not at his expense. This one feels more like it is making fun of one of the kids’ difficulties and the incessant fat talk is just too much. Especially, since she isn’t anywhere close to being “fat.” Whether coming from Mixon’s character or those around her, much of the comedy felt kind of mean-spirited to me. Also, the narration sort of works for an introduction, but I think it will get old fast, especially if it is a major part of the show going forward. I wish I could’ve seen more, as comedy is hard and many take a few episodes to find their way. But, as of now this one just didn’t work for me. But, you can always watch the superior Speechless.

Does ABC’s American Housewife sound like something you’ll be watching when it premieres Tuesday, October 11th following The Middle and before Fresh Off the Boat?

Listen and then let me know what you think in the comments or via Twitter @theTVaholic.

Hulu’s Freakish

Freakish is about a group of high school students, some there for Saturday detention, practices and other school activities, and the basketball coach that get trapped inside the school after the alarm sounds because something may have gone wrong at the town’s chemical plant. They retreat inside to the old fallout shelter. Yet, it turns out not to be a drill, as the town looks to be decimated and a toxic cloud is surrounding the area. They can’t seem to contact anyone outside the school and see no signs of life out the front door of the school.

I am not much of a horror fan, but I really liked Freakish. I’ve seen the first four episodes and while it has some gory moments, it’s really not about that. It’s a survival story, where you have to band together with those you don’t like or agree with to figure out how to stay alive in an extreme situation. It has the feel of those types of horror/zombie movies, where a group gets trapped in a grocery store or mall. Or, in this case a school, with something potentially nefarious and deadly outside trying to get in, but mixed with high school drama. The cast is mostly newcomers to me, as Chad L. Coleman and Mary Mouser were the only ones I recognized from their previous work. But, they are mostly doing solid work here. I like the setup and some of the twists that come up and that you don’t know the what, who or why that caused this. It creates and keeps a spooky vibe and as being dropped at the perfect time leading up to Halloween. I look forward to watching the remaining six episodes.

Does Hulu’s Freakish sound like something you’ll binge when it premieres Monday, October 10th with all 10 episodes?

Listen and then let me know what you think in the comments or via Twitter @theTVaholic.

Peyton List in The CW’s Frequency – (Photo: Bettina Strauss/The CW)

Frequency, which creates a new story with the same core concept of communicating through time as the film, follows Det. Raimy Sullivan. She has sort of followed in her father’s footsteps, while trying to prove that she is nothing like him. As the story goes, 20 years ago, her father left her and her mother to go deep undercover, where he went bad and ultimately ended up dead. She can barely bring herself to talk about him with her boyfriend or even her closest friend from childhood. But, as you might expect, that might not be what really happened.

In the present after a storm she is somehow able to talk to her father back in 1996, through his old and long-broken ham radio. After some confusion Raimy tells him what happened to him and he uses that knowledge survive the night he was killed. But, changing the past ends up changing the present in big ways. Separated in time by two decades, they try to use this ability to fix things without hurting those around them.

I really liked the pilot and how they set up the story, especially showing that there are real consequences to making changes to the past. I like that it has a different spin on the time travel than the many other shows in the genre these days. That being that no one is actually traveling back in time, but that you can communicate with someone. The cast is good, I’ve always liked List in her previous shows and Smith is really good as well. The surrounding cast works well, even if the aging up/down of some characters so the same actor can play them in both time periods doesn’t always work so well. There is lots of mystery to solve, even though we as the audience know some of it already. I think this is an interesting framework to tell stories within and that they can go a lot of places with it. I mean, how with this all affect her, if they make too many changes and she can remember all of them? I like the hybrid nature of the show, being a serialized procedural. You are probably going to get her solving crimes while continuing to investigate the ongoing stories of the big serial killer case they setup and stuff surrounding her father. I look forward to watching more, which will have me watching nine of The CW’s 10 shows airing this fall.

Does The CW’s Frequency sound like something you’ll be tuning to when it premieres Wednesday, October 5th after Arrow?

Listen and then let me know what you think in the comments or via Twitter @theTVaholic.

Update 9.29.2016: I also talked about Frequency with @DocBrown_TV and @IAmPollyP on The CW Fall TV Preview 2016 episode of the TV times Three Podcast.

Joshua Sasse & Tori Anderson in The CW’s No Tomorrow – (Cr. Eddy Chen/The CW)

No Tomorrow is based on a Brazilian show called How to Enjoy the End of the World, which was nominated for an International Emmy. It follows a woman who appreciates order so much that when she makes a list, “make a list” is both the first thing on the list and the first thing crossed off of it. But, living such a regimented life isn’t always that great. Her most recent relationship has seemingly come to an end and she gets no love for her career aspirations from her petty tyrant of a boss. She then meets a charming and free-spirited guy who she is immediately attracted to and the chemistry is electric. He brings some unexpected joy and romance into her life and attempts to get her to break out of her rut and seize the day. But, it turns out that he lives his life that way because he believes the apocalypse is only eight months and 12 days away and because an asteroid is going to end humankind. So, he has put together a list of everything he wants to do before the world ends. With the help of her friends, she must decide if he is a nut-job or if that even matters, as being with him gets her living a fuller life.

No Tomorrow has potential, as the cast is very likable and the people behind it have brought us some really good, if short-lived at times, shows. So, I will be giving this one a temporary spot on my watch list. They jammed a bit too much into the pilot, but my main problem with the show is that I am not sure how it works longer than maybe a season. The premise, while interesting, puts a clock on the show and given the time period covered in the first episode, it seems like we will get to the day the world is supposed to end easily within the first season. If he is right, the show is over. If he is wrong, what does that do to the happy-go-lucky fun premise? But, it could be fun in the meantime. Overall, if you are a fan of The CW’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend or Jane the Virgin, you will want to check this one out. No Tomorrow has a similar wacky premise at its core and both of them have turned out to be really good. And, The CW has seen fit to keep them around, even though practically nobody is watching them.

Does The CW’s No Tomorrow sound like something you’ll be adding to your watch list when it premieres Tuesday, October 4th after The Flash?

Listen and then let me know what you think in the comments or via Twitter @theTVaholic.

Update 9.29.2016: I also talked about No Tomorrow with @DocBrown_TV and @IAmPollyP on The CW Fall TV Preview 2016 episode of the TV times Three Podcast.

Malcolm Barrett, Matt Lanter and Abigail Spencer in NBC’s Timeless – (Photo by: Joe Lederer/NBC)

Timeless is a time traveling action-adventure series that follows a history professor, a scientist, and a soldier that have been brought together and tasked with tracking down and stopping the person who stole a secret state-of-the-art time machine, with which he could change the past and destroy the America we know. They must use the original prototype to travel back in time and try not to change things themselves while trying to stop him.

If you like time travel stories, then I think you will like Timeless. The cast is solid and the people behind it, Supernatural creator Eric Kripke and The Shield creator Shawn Ryan, have brought us some pretty good TV previously. I enjoyed the first episode, even if clunky in a few places. It looks like it will be a fun romp through America’s past with an interesting central mystery. It falls into the category of serialized-procedural. Where you’ll get an adventure of the week, but it will play into the bigger ongoing story, as they try to piece together motives behind the people who stole the time machine and attempt to stop them. Plus, you’ll get a little period costume drama in the middle of every episode, which, as far as I could tell, they did a good job of recreating the time period of the Hindenburg crash. I look forward to checking out more.

Will you be checking out NBC’s Timeless when it premieres Monday, October 3rd after The Voice?

Listen and then let me know what you think in the comments or via Twitter @theTVaholic.

Sandrine Holt, George Eads, Tristin Mays & Lucas Till in CBS’ MacGyver – (Photo: Guy D’Alema/CBS)

MacGyver is a re-imagining of the classic series as an action-adventure dramedy about a young man who works for a clandestine organization within the U.S. government and uses his extraordinary talent for unconventional problem solving and vast scientific knowledge to save lives. Along for the ride are his partner, a former CIA agent, and a hacker. Their boss is an ex-field agent that is now the director of operations. When not out saving the world, he hangs out with his ambitious longtime friend and roommate. Working for the Department of External Services, he sets out to save the world, with little more than his resourcefulness and a pocket knife.

Well, turns out the third time might have actually been the charm. While it’s not great by any stretch, it is way better than I thought it ever could be after its production troubles. CBS picked the show up in May and then didn’t just do some reshoots on the pilot, but scrapped the whole thing and kept only the two lead actors and started over. It’s actually kind of amazing that it didn’t turn out to be a giant pile. It’s actually pretty entertaining. It’s very similar to CBS’ shows like Hawaii Five-0 or Scorpion or something like USA Network’s Burn Notice on an action level, which is amped up here more than I remember it on the original series. But, it mostly works, even if it comes with a big side of cheese at times. Yet, part way through the episode I was not happy with something they had done story-wise, but by the end they turned me around. While it ultimately sets up something we’ve seen in many shows like this before, it does it in a way that made all the difference. This gives it a small bit of potential serialization to what looks to be mostly an adventure of the week procedural. Overall, I’ll probably check out a few more episodes.

Will you be checking out CBS’ MacGyver when it premieres Friday, September 23rd on CBS to lead off the night before new seasons of Hawaii Five-0 and Blue Bloods that follow?

Listen and then let me know what you think in the comments or via Twitter @theTVaholic.

Cedric Yarbrough, Mason Cook, Micah Fowler, John Bowie Ross, Minnie Driver, Kyla Kenedy & Marin Hinkle in ABC’s Speechless – (Cr. ABC)

Speechless is a family sitcom that in the premiere follows a mom on a mission. She will do anything for her husband, her daughter and two sons, especially the eldest with son with cerebral palsy. She goes full throttle against both real and imagined injustices, as the family tries to make yet another new home for themselves and she continues her search to find the right person to give her son a voice.

Of the seven new comedies coming to the broadcast networks in Fall 2016, this is my favorite. It’s the one that actually made me laugh multiple times and didn’t feel like a mediocre retread from the late 90s/early 2000s, like so many of the others coming our way. I also like that while it revolves around a differently-abled child, he is not the butt of the joke. The comedy comes more from poking fun at the people around him that don’t understand or would make fun of him. Actually, a lot of the comedy comes from his character through whoever is voicing what he wants to say. Much like CBS’ Mom, it takes a serious subject and mines comedy out of the situation around it, without making fun of it. Unlike ABC’s other new comedy American Housewife, which felt more mean spirited in its comedy. Speechless has a great cast. I’ve always liked Minnie Driver and continue to here. Really like seeing John Ross Bowie getting to do something more than his one joke Kripke character on CBS’ The Big Bang Theory. The kids are all very good and you can’t really go wrong filling out your cast with the likes of Hinkle, Slavin and Yarbrough. This one will definitely be getting a DVR season pass.

Will you be checking out ABC’s Speechless when it premieres Wednesday, September 21st on ABC following The Goldbergs and before Modern Family. Or, will you watch it online right now before it premieres?

Listen and then let me know what you think in the comments or via Twitter @theTVaholic.