ABC and CBS Kick Off the 2014-15 Television Season in a Big Way – Ed Martin

After a fourmonth wait premiere week is finally hereAs I noted in last Thursdayamp8217s column it almost feels like an anticlimax given the relentless promotion of the broadcast networksamp8217 new series that kicked in last May and has not let up since Itamp8217s not all that unusual to hear people comment on how tired they are of several of them even though they have yet to actually arrive on network schedules Iamp8217m certain the networks will argue that there is no such thing as too much promotion Iamp8217m not sure thatamp8217s true at least not in the way to which we have all become accustomed Time will tell on this oneOf course where NBC and The CW are concerned that ongoing promotional blitz has several more weeks to go as most of their new amp8220fallamp8221 series will not debut until October and in the case of NBCamp8217s amp8220State of Affairsamp8221 not until November Over at Fox two new shows amp8211 the reality series amp8220Utopiaamp8221 and the drama amp8220Red Band Societyamp8221 amp8211 both made their debuts before premiere week to less than encouraging results NBC last week gave its unimpressive new drama amp8220The Mysteries of Lauraamp8221 an early launch and it seemed to do well but it had a very strong leadin and faced no significant competition Iamp8217m betting that its second episode this week will suffer a considerable decline Admittedly I have no idea how amp8220Lauraamp8221 might do when playback is measured over the next seven days I suspect amp8220Red Band Societyamp8221 might get a nice boost from the old DVR as seems to be true for many Fox seriesMeantime ABC and CBS have stepped up and above the others in their efforts to preserve some of the excitement of the traditional premiere week In addition to starting new seasons of their hottest shows amp8211 amp8220The Good Wifeamp8221 amp8220The Big Bang Theoryamp8221 amp8220Person of Interestamp8221 amp8220NCISamp8221 amp8220Survivoramp8221 amp8220The Amazing Raceamp8221 and amp8220Blue Bloodsamp8221 on CBS amp8220Modern Familyamp8221 amp8220The Middleamp8221 amp8220Nashvilleamp8221 amp8220Greyamp8217s Anatomyamp8221 amp8220Scandalamp8221 and amp8220Shark Tankamp8221 joining amp8220Dancing with the Starsamp8221 which made its season premiere last week on ABC amp8211 both networks this week are premiering several of their most promising freshmen effortsI didnamp8217t think ABC did a very good job of launching and promoting its new 201415 series during upfront week or during the networkamp8217s day at the Summer 2014 Television Critics Association tour So I was slow in getting to know most of them But once I did I was struck by their overall quality and how genuinely entertaining so many of them turned out to be I now consider them collectively to be the best batch of new broadcast shows this season Simply for the great diversity represented in its new shows ABC deserves an amp8220Aamp8221 for effortThree of the best from ABCamp8217s freshman class are starting this week The legal dramathriller amp8220How to Get Away with Murderamp8221 from where I sit the best new broadcast series of the season the supernaturally tinged procedural crime drama amp8220Foreveramp8221 and the contemporary comedy amp8220blackishamp8221 which in tandem with amp8220The Middleamp8221 amp8220The Goldbergsamp8221 and amp8220Modern Familyamp8221 on Wednesday gives ABC the most powerful familycomedy block any network has put together in longer than I can rememberTwo of ABCamp8217s lesser freshmen efforts amp8211 the romcoms amp8220Selfieamp8221 and amp8220Manhattan Love Storyamp8221 amp8211 wonamp8217t debut until next week We wonamp8217t see amp8220Cristelaamp8221 another strong family sitcom and one boosted by its instantly ingratiating star Cristela Alonzo until OctoberCBS on Sunday debuted its eagerly anticipated adult political drama amp8220Madam Secretaryamp8221 in between the season premieres of amp822060 Minutesamp8221 and amp8220The Good Wifeamp8221 Early ratings reports indicate that it performed just fine in that desirable time period for which it seems to have been custom designed this despite a football overrun that bumped its scheduled premiere by one hour amp8220Madam Secretaryamp8221 wasnamp8217t as dynamic a pilot as I had hoped but all the elements are there for a very satisfying show one that should serve as a fine leadin to the best drama on televisionAlso having their premieres on CBS this week are its dramacomedyadventure hybrid amp8220Scorpionamp8221 which will have to work hard to keep up with its exciting pilot and canamp8217t lose spinoff amp8220NCIS New Orleansamp8221 quotScorpionquot is pictured aboveamp8220Stalkeramp8221 the thriller about detectives who hunt serial killers that is likely to be one of the most talkedabout new broadcast series of the fall due to its highly disturbing violence much of it inflicted on women at least in the pilot will not premiere until next week Many critics myself included have nothing good to say about it except that series leads Maggie Q and Dylan McDermott are quite good in the lead roles but given the insatiable appetite out there for deeply unsettling shows like CBSamp8217 longrunning hit amp8220Criminal Mindsamp8221 this one may prove reviewproofEd Martin is the Editor of MediaBizBloggers He also writes the Watercooler TV column for MyersBizNet Ed has been writing about television for over 25 years He is a member of the Television Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association Follow him on Twitter at PlanetEdCheck us out on Facebook at MediaBizBloggerscomFollow our Twitter updates at MediaBizBloggerThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaBizBloggerscom management or associated bloggers MediaBizBloggers is an open thought leadership platform and readers may share their comments and opinions in response to all 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ABC and CBS Kick Off the 2014-15 Television Season in a Big Way – Ed Martin

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