It’s been an extra busy few weeks in the world of television. Most broadcast TV series have signed off for the summer, renewals and cancellations have been handed down, new shows have been announced, and fall TV schedules have been unveiled.
In case you missed some of that, here’s some highlights from the recent barrage of TV news and events:
Finishing Strong
I was generally underwhelmed during May Sweeps this year. Of course I can only comment on the TV shows I watch, but out of those, only a few left me with that ‘why is the fall so far away’ feeling. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., New Girl, and Underground had the strongest finales in my opinion.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. brought some spectacular action sequences and once again shuffled the deck to propel the story in a new direction for its upcoming fourth season. New Girl’s finale included a rousing game of True American First Lady edition and brought back old friends for a big event. And over on WGN America, Underground capped off a solid first season with a fitting finale that managed to provide resolution while also teasing what’s to come when the series returns in 2017.
What were your favorite finales or biggest disappointments? Let me know in the comments section below.
Saddest Cancellation
It was already kind of a miracle that Agent Carter was renewed last year, so when ratings fell even further this past winter I knew it was doomed. Needless to say, I wasn’t surprised when ABC axed the show, but it still stung. Until the news was official there was still a glimmer of hope. I loved the series and I can only hope it finds its way to Netflix so that I can share it with others.
If you likewise loved an ABC show, there’s a good chance you’re bummed right now too. They went on a killing spree canceling a total of 10 shows over the last year including long time favorites Castle and Nashville.
Other notable cancellations included The Grinder, Grandfathered, CSI: Cyber, and The Muppets. To see if your favorite shows are safe, here’s the full list of this TV season’s cancellations and renewals courtesy of Vox.com.
Happiest Renewal
And now for the good news, Supergirl was renewed, but with a twist. The Kryptonian heroine will be joining her fellow DC superheroes on The CW next season. I still think the show is mightily uneven and sometimes a bit hokey, but I’m honestly happy Supergirl will be back for more. Despite it’s flaws, it still delivers a fun hour of TV every week and Melissa Benoist absolutely kills it in the title role.
Other freshmen series that will live to see another day include Blindspot , Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, Lucifer, Quantico, and The Real O’Neals. Click here to see everything that’s been renewed.
Favorite One-and-Down
Every year I watch at least one freshman series that never makes it past its first season (see: Harper’s Island, Benched, Bunheads, Marry Me, Off the Map, Point Pleasant , Hidden Palms, Ascension, Super Fun Night, Trophy Wife, Red Band Society, etc…).
This year that show was The Family, which was a casualty of ABC’s wave of cancellations. Apparently not many people watched it, but boy was it fun. The show doled out just the right amount of answers while also providing a handful of plots that never ceased to zig and zag. It burnt through a hell of a lot of story lines in 12 episodes so I don’t know if it could have kept up that breakneck pace in a second and perhaps even longer season, but I would have been willing to go along for the ride.
Show I’m Quitting
I’m not sure why or how, but FOX renewed Sleepy Hollow. After a fun first season the show went into a textbook sophomore slump before regrouping a bit in it’s third. I honestly only stuck around this long because I thought it was going to be cancelled and I wanted to see how it would end. However, the third season finale left me even more angered and perplexed about where the writers intend to take the show, so best of luck Ichabod Crane, but I’m done.
Looking Ahead
Network Upfronts were this past week, so even though the current TV season is barely behind us, we can already start getting excited for what’s to come. Honestly, I’ve only skimmed some of the news so I’m not about to give you a rundown of everything coming this fall. (Let’s not rush through the summer, please.) But here’s comprehensive Fall 2016 TV schedule from EW.com with links to new show descriptions and trailers.
From what I have read and seen though, reboots and remakes aren’t going away anytime soon. You may recognize titles such as Lethal Weapon, Training Day, MacGyver, and The Exorcist. Yeah, those are all TV shows now.
Legal dramas and family comedies are still popular too. But weirdly enough time-travel seems to be something TV networks are into now. There’ no fewer than four shows that involve a mingling of the past and present. Timeless, Frequency, Time After Time, and Making History have all been ordered to series by NBC, The CW, ABC, and FOX respectively.
Looking for specific recommendations? Check back later this summer for a more comprehensive look at the new crop of broadcast TV shows. Until then, enjoy the summer TV season.
