.Hollywood.'s Summer TV Preview

[John McHenry]

I've only listed shows that I predict will be better than 4/10

Arrested Development - May 26
The Bluths are having a movie made about them. Supposedly this season is very linear. You see one character in an episode you can pause it go to their episode and follow them a super interconnected web.
Prediction 7/10

Breaking Bad - July 15
So what happens to Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. Will they be discovered, will they finally give it up, or will they just continue on.
Prediction 8/10

Burn Notice - June 6 - Last Season
The show has had it's ups and downs last season ended on a high note. I predict they'll put in every effort to end on a high knowing it's their end ahead of time.
Prediction 7.5/10

Dexter - June 30 - Last Season
Another Show that knows it's ending going in. Last season Deb learned of Dexters second life. All the stakes are raised.
Prediction 10/10

Falling Skies - June 9
Probably the best alien invasion show made. That's right made. It's got just the right amount of grit and the best part? Water doesn't kill them. Most shows tend to weaken in the third season. Falling Skies only does 13 episodes a season and has a great crew.
Prediction 8/10

True Blood - June 16
The show has been weakening as of late. This season sees vamps vs. humans it scream come watch us but I don't think they'll pull it off in the past the main attraction has been a will they won't they between characters now that viewers have seen pretty much everyone naked the spark is dying.
Prediction 6/10

Franklin and Bash - June 19
One of the best Legal shows on TV and now the only legal dramedy. Another season 3 show I expect some of the episodes to suffer but it'll probably pull threw.
Prediction 7/10

The Newsroom - July 14
This show for me came out of nowhere but it was excellent. Using mostly real life event and using a fictional newsroom to debate current social issues should be a show everyone watches.
Prediction 8/10

Suits - July 16
Another legal show this one with a fair amount of comedy but not enough to call it a dramedy. Yet another season 3. They seemed to suffer a bit in the second season with trying to pull off too much. With the buyout issue they faced in Season 2 it's hard to see an over arching story for season 3 it'll be more of the same or a fledgling attempt. I think the show will be good but no over arching story.
Prediction 6/10

New Shows

Under the Dome - June 24
As everyone knows based on the Stephen King story of a small town stuck under a dome. Cut off from the rest of the world. Sci fi tends not to do too well on mainstream TV. I expect the show to be good where there will be an audience to watch it is another story.
Prediction 8/10

Almost Human -
In a not-so-distant future, human cops and androids partner up to protect and serve. That's the synopsis for the new JJ Abrams backed show starring Karl Urban. Hopefully it doesn't become one of those sci fi cult classics that go down to early.
Prediction 9/10

 

[Keith]

I've only listed shows that I predict will be better than 4/10

Arrested Development - May 26
The Bluths are having a movie made about them. Supposedly this season is very linear. You see one character in an episode you can pause it go to their episode and follow them a super interconnected web.
Prediction 7/10
Breaking Bad - July 15
So what happens to Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. Will they be discovered, will they finally give it up, or will they just continue on.
Prediction 8/10

Burn Notice - June 6 - Last Season
The show has had it's ups and downs last season ended on a high note. I predict they'll put in every effort to end on a high knowing it's their end ahead of time.
Prediction 7.5/10

Dexter - June 30 - Last Season
Another Show that knows it's ending going in. Last season Deb learned of Dexters second life. All the stakes are raised.
Prediction 10/10

Falling Skies - June 9
Probably the best alien invasion show made. That's right made. It's got just the right amount of grit and the best part? Water doesn't kill them. Most shows tend to weaken in the third season. Falling Skies only does 13 episodes a season and has a great crew.
Prediction 8/10

True Blood - June 16
The show has been weakening as of late. This season sees vamps vs. humans it scream come watch us but I don't think they'll pull it off in the past the main attraction has been a will they won't they between characters now that viewers have seen pretty much everyone naked the spark is dying.
Prediction 6/10

Franklin and Bash - June 19
One of the best Legal shows on TV and now the only legal dramedy. Another season 3 show I expect some of the episodes to suffer but it'll probably pull threw.
Prediction 7/10

The Newsroom - July 14
This show for me came out of nowhere but it was excellent. Using mostly real life event and using a fictional newsroom to debate current social issues should be a show everyone watches.
Prediction 8/10

Suits - July 16
Another legal show this one with a fair amount of comedy but not enough to call it a dramedy. Yet another season 3. They seemed to suffer a bit in the second season with trying to pull off too much. With the buyout issue they faced in Season 2 it's hard to see an over arching story for season 3 it'll be more of the same or a fledgling attempt. I think the show will be good but no over arching story.
Prediction 6/10

New Shows

Under the Dome - June 24
As everyone knows based on the Stephen King story of a small town stuck under a dome. Cut off from the rest of the world. Sci fi tends not to do too well on mainstream TV. I expect the show to be good where there will be an audience to watch it is another story.
Prediction 8/10

Almost Human -
In a not-so-distant future, human cops and androids partner up to protect and serve. That's the synopsis for the new JJ Abrams backed show starring Karl Urban. Hopefully it doesn't become one of those sci fi cult classics that go down to early.
Prediction 9/10

And the whole thing being streamed on NetFlix am very excited to see some new AD finally!

 

[Troy]

For new shows there are two that I am really looking forward to and will have to check out.

[YOUTUBE]k9_qgX7pTlc[/YOUTUBE]
The Blacklist
Raymond "Red" Reddington, one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives, surrenders in person at FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. He claims that he and the FBI have the same interests: bringing down dangerous criminals and terrorists. Reddington will cooperate, but insists that he will speak only to Elizabeth Keen, a rookie FBI profiler. Keen questions Reddington's sudden interest in her, though he claims that Keen is very special. After the FBI brings down a terrorist he provided information on, Reddington reveals that the terrorist is only just the first of many. In the last two decades, he made a list of criminals and terrorists he believes the FBI can't find because they didn't know they exist and that they matter the most. Reddington calls it "The Blacklist". ​

Really like the concept of one of the most dangerous criminals in the world helping to catch other criminals with his blacklist. Trailer looks fantastic as well, a bit more detail than I expected especially with regards to the pressures used on Keen to get her to allow Red to work with them. Spader is impressive in the trailer, apparently Kiefer Sutherland was the first choice and that would have been excellent but still I will definitely watch this when it is released.

[YOUTUBE]W6kB2dFT4KI[/YOUTUBE]
Hostages
The family of a doctor, who will be doing surgery on the United States President, is taken hostage by a rogue FBI agent. She is ordered by the kidnappers to assassinate the President in order to save her family.​

Again I like the concept and the trailer is fantastic. Surprised at first when he shot the guy coming out of the bank but it built momentum, Toni Collette and Dylan McDermott look good in their roles. My only query is whether they can drag this out into a full series without it getting repetitive. In the trailer we see that the surgery is delayed for two weeks so they have a bit of time to play with but not really that much. Hopefully this is fast tracked to Australia as well.

 

[John McHenry]

The Blacklist looks fantastic. Hopefully they can make it work but it looks like one of those shows that will get threatened with cancellation so hopefully NBC gives them that second season they'll probably need. It's also NBC so anything could happen as even a trained monkey seems to have more knowledge then they do these days.

I expect Hostages to fail in the first 6 weeks.

 

[Troy]

The Blacklist should be a show that can easily run for a very long time, they can just keep adding pages to that Blacklist. It is on NBC so it will probably struggle for ratings since that network is poison at the moment, maybe this can be the show to turn it around.

I can see Hostages dragging on too much and not moving forward in the story quickly enough. I also wonder what happens once the surgery happens, where does the show go then? The concept does seem more suited to a two hour film or a short mini series rather than a full on 12+ episode season but I am going to give it a chance and hope that the writers have something good planned.

 

[Keith]

Just one comment on the Blacklist trailer they gave away much too much, that looked like most of the first episode in a nut shell. This is a modern thing that really bothers me and it most effect the ratings in some cases.

 

[Troy]

I agree that they showed way too much, as I said in my post they included too much detail. Should have just shown him predict the kidnapping and then have it happen. No need for all the other details with her husband being threatened and all that. Still going to check it out to see how it all plays out.