Let’s be honest. School and work get in the way of our television schedules. For those of us not down with binge-watching shows on Netflix months later, keeping up can be difficult and take some strategy. What’s even harder is keeping up with television news. You could watch a show this week and by next week it could have already been canceled. In case you missed it, here is a brief recap of the many first this season has already notched.
First Cancellation: ABC’s new drama “Lucky 7” did not win the ratings lottery and was the first series to be tossed this season after airing only two episodes. The show followed seven gas station employees in desperate need of a financial break when, alas, their shared lottery ticket wins! Apparently watching other people win an exorbitant amount of money is not what we want. The show, which was an adaptation of a British series, was overshadowed by NBC’s “Chicago Fire” and CBS’s ratings powerhouse “Person of Interest” in the Tuesday 10 p.m. timeslot. For now, those who didn’t watch “Lucky 7” can enjoy even more “Scandal.” (The second cancellation of the season goes to sitcom “We Are Men,” which CBS also pulled the plug on after two episodes.)
First Renewal: Fox jumped the gun and renewed “Sleepy Hollow” for a second season. Historically, networks award shows with high, stable ratings a back-nine order (or a full season pickup), and then announce midseason a renewal or cancellation. While it does continue to perform well in its timeslot, “Sleepy Hollow” has lost some steam since it premiered to over 13 million viewers. Catch the headless horseman Mondays at 9 p.m. and next fall.
First Back-Nine Order: NBC, which has struggled to find a hit in the past few seasons, has found a hit in the James Spader procedural “The Blacklist.” Spader stars as the FBI’s most wanted fugitive who surrenders and ends up teaming up with the FBI to fight their common enemy since he knows how they operate. Sounds like USA’s “White Collar,” but with a dark twist, as Spader’s Red Reddington is unreformed and continues to work on his own plot. “The Blacklist” has been received with acclaim and impressive ratings, which earned it a full 22-episode first season. Join in the dark take-downs Mondays at 10 p.m. (ABC also gave Joss Whedon’s “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” a full season pickup.)
First Person to Meet “The Mother”: Don’t let the picture fool you. Ted still has yet to meet his future wife. Despite that fact, Cristin Milioti (the still unnamed “mother”) has become a series regular for the final season and pops up from time to time. In true “How I Met Your Mother” fashion, flash-forwards are aplenty, much like one where Ted and The Mother return to Farhampton one year after Barney and Robin’s wedding (pictured above). So far, though, Lily (Alyson Hannigan) is the only character who has met The Mother. The future best friends shared feelings and cookies on a bus ride to Farhampton. Since meeting Lily, The Mother has been MIA (probably tuning her bass guitar). Looks like we’ll just have to wait for it.
First Returning Shows to Fall Hard: Though there are many returning shows experiencing a backslide in ratings (thank you, Netflix), ABC’s primetime soap “Revenge” and Fox’s sitcom “The Mindy Project” stand out the most. Both series received critical acclaim and a cult following in their first seasons. After a lackluster second season, the refocused and revamped third season premiere of “Revenge” returned to middling numbers. And while “The Mindy Project” never broke any ratings records, its small but mighty fan base seems to be slipping away week after week. It’s disappointing to see two shows with such style and creativity to slip through the cracks.
First New Shows to Fall Hard: Inevitably, not every new show will impress right out the gate—even if those shows have big names attached. ABC’s “Trophy Wife” stars Malin Åkerman (“Couples Retreat,” “Rock of Ages”) as the third wife of an older gentleman (Bradley Whitford) with three kids and two ex-wives. Talk about a modern family. However, the similarities to “Modern Family” end there. “Trophy Wife” has neither the buzz nor the viewership of its network-mate. Fox’s “Dads” is in a comparable situation, not for its on-screen talent but for its behind the scenes talent. Seth MacFarlane (“Family Guy,” “Ted”) produced the comedy about two fathers who end up moving in with their sons. MacFarlane’s name is the best thing going for it, and even that hasn’t brought in the viewers. Maybe that has something to do with poor reviews. Both shows air on Tuesday nights.
Want to keep up with TV news, but you’re not sure how? Here are a few reputable sources to follow for breaking news and ratings, reviews, episode recaps and spoilers:
1. Entertainment Weekly (@EW)
2. TV.com (@tvdotcom)
3. TVLine.com (@TVLine)
4. E! Online – Watch with Kristin (@KristinDSantos)
PHOTO CREDIT:
http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/10/04/lucky7-cancelled/?ew%5FpackageID=20302134
http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/how-i-met-your-mother/photos/192257/1466967
http://abc.go.com/shows/revenge/photos/seasons/03/episode-302-sin/media/revenge-episode-302-sin-05
http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/09/09/trophy-wife-pilot-review
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/nbc-blacklist-trailer-james-spader-521441