new shows spring and summer 2016

[skippercollector]

I'm starting a list similar to the one I did last fall in which I mention new shows that I've seen. This time it is for spring and summer 2016. You can add your own comments about new series.
I've seen two episodes of Heartbeat on NBC and haven't seen anything groundbreaking or even remotely new in it. It's yet another medical/hospital drama, this time about a cardiac surgeon. It's a nice enough show, but how many times can one watch a series about patients with odd illnesses, characters with a dysfunctional home life and hospital employees who always seem to be having affairs with each other?

[skippercollector]

1. the other kingdom

The Other Kingdom is a frenetic, complicated, odd new show on Nickelodeon. I watched one episode and it was enough. I had a hard time keeping all the characters straight, especially when they kept changing the fantasy characters. I doubt I will bother with it again.

[skippercollector]

2. maya and marty

I watched the first 10 minutes of the first Maya & Marty and about five minutes of the second episode. It was the worst variety show I've ever seen.

[skippercollector]

3. brain-dead

I watched the first 10 minutes of the second episode of Brain-Dead and enjoyed them. Then a man's head exploded and I got sick to my stomach. That was enough for me!

[yallerdawg]

4. The horror!

Last edited Fri Jun 24, 2016, 09:22 AM - Edit history (1)

to Marlon Brando!

I like "BrainDead" (upthread reference)!

Two other startups - "Preacher" and "Outcast."

I have "Cleverman" ready to binge. More sci-fi than horror maybe?

In memoriam - the untimely, unexpected series finale of "Penny Dreadful." The End showed up in the credits - and it was.

One other - not horror unless you count the Tooth Fairy. I am really enjoying "Feed the Beast"!

[skippercollector]

5. rush hour

Having never seen the Rush Hour movies, I ignored the new series when it debuted last spring. Rush Hour was quickly canceled, and CBS has been showing the remaining episodes on Saturday nights.
I got quite hooked on the show when I watched it on Saturdays. First, I love Wendie Malick. Secondly, the show, although violent, is far more silly and light-hearted than most contemporary police dramas in which something horrible happens every 10 minutes. There are the improbable fights, the ridiculous insults and the beautiful Los Angeles scenery.
This coming Saturday is the last episode, and I will miss watching the series.

[skippercollector]

6. chesapeake shores

I have never found a replacement for the WB's Everwood, one of my all-time favorite series. Chesapeake Shores might be a good parallel, though.
It debuted last night on Hallmark, and will air at 9 p.m. US Eastern time on Sundays. Treat Williams is one of the stars. The only other person in the show I recognize is Diane Ladd, who plays his mother.
Unlike Everwood, which had stories about several different families, Shores is just about one multi-generational family. Diane Ladd is the great-grandmother, Treat is the grandfather with four children, and one of the daughters has two daughters.
It was a pleasant story, not hard to follow, without all the intrigue and subterfuge of so many contemporary dramas. I will definitely be watching it.

[skippercollector]

7. gomorrah

Do we really need another series where all the characters are bad guys?
The latest is Gomorrah, which debuted on Sundance last night here in the US. It's an Italian series, so I don't know how long or when it aired in Italy. The show is in Italian with subtitles. It's also very physically dark and many scenes are very hard to see.
It's about rival mobs (stereotype much?). I watched the first episode for about 20 minutes and then gave up. Not only could I not figure out the umpteen characters, I literally could not see much of the many of the scenes!

[skippercollector]

8. Kevin Can Wait

Yet another sitcom about the dumpy and somewhat dimwitted husband with the pretty, smart, thin wife. I won't be watching Kevin Can Wait again.

[skippercollector]

9. the good place

I loved The Good Place! It was so nice to see a show with bright sharply-focused Technicolor-style film. At first I thought the show was going to be like Drop Dead Diva, but it's only marginally like it. Both shows have the premise of a young woman dying and ending up where she wasn't supposed to be.
It kept my interest for the entire hour. I'm not sure if this show is supposed to be 30 or 60 minutes long, though.