The Planet Ed 2015-16 Fall Broadcast Preview: ABC, CBS and The CW

If you missed it, be sure to read my reviews of the many new series premiering this fall on Fox and NBC. And then move on to the networks below.

ABC

Blood & Oil (pictured at top) – Great concept, cool cast, uneven but promising pilot. Primetime is always the right time for a sexy serial, and this could be the new “Dallas” that TNT’s poorly plotted reboot of the old “Dallas” never managed to be.

Dr. Ken – Fetid. Perfectly awful in every way. It gives NBC’s “Truth Be Told” a run for its money as the season’s worst new show.

The Muppets – My concerns about the start of the 2015-16 broadcast season can be summed up in one sentence: The latest presentation of a 40-year-old franchise – omnipresent for four decades -- is the fall’s most promising new series. That was obvious way back in May during Upfront week when ABC released a riotously funny clip. Nothing has changed.

Quantico – Interesting premise, highly appealing cast. But the presentation of midtown Manhattan in the immediate aftermath of a major terrorist attack that demolishes Grand Central Station is so completely lame-brained it won’t surprise me if this one quickly fades away.

CBS

Angel from Hell – More like critic in hell … that’s how I felt watching this aggressively humor challenged clump of so-called comedy. Jane Lynch is remarkably grating in the title role.

Life in Pieces – CBS’ other curiously humorless new fall comedy would seem to be relatable only to families that reside in Pacific Palisades or Pasadena. But its cast includes James Brolin, Dianne Wiest, Thomas Sadoski and Betsy Brandt, so I’m not writing it off yet.

Limitless – Via my own personal litmus test I’m calling this one a winner. The details: Critics don’t seem to care for it, but every “ordinary civilian” with whom I have shared the pilot has loved it. (I remember when that happened with the original “CSI.”) Plus: Recurring appearances by Bradley Cooper!

Supergirl – The pilot is full of holes bigger than the one left in the middle of New York City in ABC’s “Quantico,” which cannot be explained here without including spoilers, so all I’ll say is they largely involve Superman and super criminals. But “Supergirl” is colorful, energetic and full of life, and its cast has a dizzying appeal. Can an aggressively youthful show of this kind take flight on CBS? I’m thinking definitely maybe. (Fun Fact: The scheduling of this hour-long “drama” on CBS at 8 p.m. Monday marks the first time the network hasn’t run sitcoms in that hour since 1949!)

Code Black – More like Code Blecch! The medical goop and glop gets a bit overwhelming at times, and the characters aren’t nearly as distinctive as those in the early years of “ER” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” But star Marcia Gay Harden is always terrific, which makes this show one to root for.

The CW

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend – Talented Rachel Bloom winningly portrays an emotionally unstable single woman who stalks a man across the country in this bubbly musical comedy filled with creepy personal drama and fun production numbers. I think the title character is way too intense for weekly consumption on a network where even the charming “Jane the Virgin” can’t find an audience. Maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised on both counts.

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