

RED BAND SOCIETY

Premieres September 17

Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET

FOX



Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television is behind this dramedy about the staff and patients of the children’s ward in L.A.’s Ocean Park Hospital. Academy Award-winning actress Octavia Spencer (The Help) and Dave Annable (Brothers & Sisters) are the nurse and doctor who try to help their charges not just through their illnesses but through their lives, as well. David Bianculli: Yes, it’s YA Television, with a Breakfast Club vibe set in a hospital ward full of sick but plucky young teens. And it’s full of aphorisms and lessons in emotional perspective and caring about others – but hey, it’s about something. You have to applaud the idea, and hope that, if young viewers are tuning in, they’re buying what Red Band is selling.



Bill Brioux: Critics started referring to this as “Glee Hospital” as soon as the screener arrived. The comedy/drama is about a group of teenage patients living together in a pediatric ward. Kids seem to love these teenage tales of near death, and the young actors are engaging in the pilot, so I see this show sticking around a bit. Ed Bark: The title Red Band Society comes from the wrist wraps distributed by Leo Roth (Charlie Rowe), who's lost both his hair and part of a leg to cancer. Incoming patient Jordi Palacios (Nolan Sotillo) faces the same operation. So they bond, with Leo telling Jordi, "They can never cut into your soul." Yes, things can get a bit cloying and pretentious. But there are affecting moments as well, and plenty of possibilities for new patients and story lines.



Jonathan Storm: The adventures of a bunch of kids who live in a hospital because they’re so sick, except they all seem to have inordinate energy in spouting wiser-than-their-years clichés. The boy in the coma who’s the narrator is the most believable character. Eric Gould: What if you staged a high school drama in a hipster-decorated cancer ward and no one looked particularly ill?



Ed Martin: Everything about this strange show feels a bit off and raises significant questions. Why are so many of the gravely ill kids on its canvas so irritating? Why aren’t their parents around more? Why can coma kid communicate with the others when they are unconscious? Who’s paying the kids’ healthcare bills, which are most assuredly catastrophic, especially if their parents aren’t poor enough to benefit from Obamacare? Can the wonderful Octavia Spencer please make more guest appearances on Mom?





MADAM SECRETARY

Premieres September 21

Sundays at 8 p.m. ET

CBS



Téa Leoni returns to weekly television as the Secretary of State in this drama series from producers Barbara Hall (Homeland, Judging Amy) and Morgan Freeman. Co-stars of the show are a veritable Who’s Who of series television including Tim Daly, Zeljko Ivanek and Bebe Neuwirth. David Bianculli: This new series has a wonderful cast, headed by Téa Leoni, but while the characters in this political drama are supposed to be so smart, the writing is so simplistic, this new series is much less enjoyable, and laudable, than it should be. And I’m still trying to parse one particular line of dialogue: “This is a risk you can’t afford not to take.” I think Madam Secretary isn’t a show you can’t afford not to watch – but don’t quote me on that.



Bill Brioiux: I know I watched this last June when screeners were sent out to critics. I know Téa Leoni stars, and I had a feeling then that it was well-placed on Sunday nights. But I have absolutely no memory of what happens in the pilot. My takeaway: Leoni looks the part but this series is like America recognizing Cuba: it’s just never gonna happen. Ed Martin: More than most of the networks’ new fall shows, this is the one that I want to see work. But the bland, predictable pilot didn’t. Téa Leoni has to loosen up. (So do the writers!) She suffers when compared to any of the fabulous females in The Good Wife, the show with which Secretary has been paired. Fingers crossed.



Eric Gould: Yes, a cabinet woman can have it all. Téa Leoni as a high-functioning ex-CIA analyst, professor, wife, and – “two months later” – an unforeseen Secretary of State. She’s got a handful: foes in the White House, an unwanted stylist and a couple of nagging mommy issues. Leoni nevertheless stands her ground here in somewhat predictable network fare. You could do worse than this as a companion to Sunday’s The Good Wife. Jonathan Storm: Great cast (welcome back, Téa Leoni), decent premise (she’s the hard-charging Secretary of State to president Keith Carradine), big network push (enough for CBS to shove The Amazing Race to Fridays). Secretary, sadly, comes off like a typewriter missing a couple of keys.



Donna J. Plesh: Téa Leoni is back on TV playing the new Secretary of State, juggling world problems and family life. A good drama in a tough 8 p.m. Sunday timeslot: Opposite pro football in a large part of the country. Definitely worth setting the DVR to record.



SCORPION

Premieres September 22

Mondays at 9 p.m. ET

CBS



Based on real life genius Walter O’Brien (who also serves as an executive producer), this drama focuses on O’Brien (Elyes Gabel of Game of Thrones) and the band of brilliant colleagues he brings together (also based on real life) to help solve some of the world’s more complicated and complex problems. David Bianculli: It’s a smart programming move, that’s for sure. While The Big Bang Theory relocates to Mondays during football season, it also serves as a springboard for this new drama series, which essentially is about a Big Bang-type gang of misfit geniuses recruited as a crimefighting and puzzle-solving unit. I enjoyed this show much more than I expected to, especially with Smash actress Katharine McPhee as its emotional center, playing a waitress with a gifted but distant young child. Jonathan Storm: Fun stuff with a lot of action about a geek squad that doesn’t install surround-sound TVs or fix computers. They save our skin every week, working for Homeland Security, in the form of Terminator Robert Patrick, who’s never off TV for long. They’re geniuses. Their show is mindless, but entertaining.



Bill Brioux: Imagine The Big Bang Theory as a procedural. Now scrub that notion out of your noggin and move on. Ed Martin: The pilot is very entertaining, due mostly to its thrilling set piece involving Katharine McPhee, a speeding convertible and a low-flying commercial airliner. Can it live up to its own exciting start? Here’s hoping.



Eric Gould: More Homeland Security danger du jour, this time with a group of brilliant, socially inept misfits who can out-hack, out-engineer and outmaneuver any adversary on the fly — usually at the last, cliff-hanging nanosecond. Sometimes clever, sometimes Revenge of the Chess Club.



GOTHAM

Premieres September 22

Mondays at 8 p.m. ET

FOX



From Executive Producer/Writer Bruno Heller (The Mentalist, Rome), Gotham is the origin story of the man who will eventually become Commissioner Gordon of DC Comics’ Batman as well as the early life of the superhero himself. Starring Ben McKenzie (Southland) as Detective James Gordon and Donal Logue (Sons of Anarchy) as his partner, Harvey Bullock. David Bianculli: This new Batman prequel is moody enough, and well-acted enough, not only to work – but to thrive. Exploring the “salad days” of some of DC Comics’ most infamous villains will give viewers plenty to chew on, and the series opener sets the scene perfectly.



Ed Bark: One of the best of the new fall dramas. Dark, moody and engrossing with a very young (12-years-old) Bruce Wayne who will one day become Batman. Bill Brioux: Holy expectations exceeded! I dreaded this as another special effects heavy wet dream for Bat-nerds. Instead, Gotham is more Chinatown than superhero saga and flat out the most entertaining new show of the season. Leads Donal Logue and Ben McKenzie take two of the hoariest clichés ever—the world-weary cop teamed with the idealistic rookie—and make both characters real and relatable. Showrunner Bruno Heller (Rome, The Mentalist) makes full use of the real star of the show—New York City (mostly Brooklyn). The bat-cherry on top is the terrific supporting cast, especially Robin Lord Taylor who steals the pilot as the punk who would be Penguin. There’s nothing camp about this Batman prequel, which brings the franchise back to the dark, noir-ish roots of the original Bob Kane crime fighting comics. Jonathan Storm: This season’s big hoo-hah, a prequel to the Batman series, is certainly worth a look, even for people who hate comics and superheroes. Combining elements of film noir and black comedy, it’s a great platform for perennial fave Donal Logue and O.C. heartthrob Ben McKenzie, playing detectives with contrasting styles.



Ed Martin: The most promising new series on Fox’s fall lineup is so dark and violent and relentlessly grim that it is certain to be a big hit with young viewers. Older geeks might be turned off by the fact that the narrative is filled with villains in the making and no superhero to be found – only a very young and very broody Bruce Wayne. Gotham might benefit from some humor in its murky mix.



FOREVER

Premieres September 23

Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET

ABC



The drama stars Ioan Gruffudd (Ringer) as Dr. Henry Morgan, the NY City Medical Examiner who, through his work, is trying to understand his mystifying immortality. Also stars Alana De La Garza, Lorraine Toussaint and Judd Hirsch. David Biaculli: Ioan Gruffudd plays a medical examiner who can’t die. Don’t expect the same fate for this show, a hackneyed sort of Quincy, D.O.A.



Ed Martin: The best new procedural of the fall season and also the most original genre entry to come along in quite some time. It’s a bit gimmicky, but the charm of series lead Ioan Gruffudd more than compensates. Bill Brioux: Unpronounceable Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd stars as a NYC MD who keeps dying and waking up again (in the middle of the Hudson) in this mashup of Groundhog Day meets House. I can see the headlines now: “Forever lasts six weeks.” Eric Gould: An accidental immortal comes to New York City and becomes a medical examiner. He’s a witty sleuth and an expert on death since he’s returned from all kinds of violent ones. Sherlock Holmes meets Highlander.



NCIS: NEW ORLEANS

Premieres September 23

Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET

CBS



Another NCIS spinoff with this one taking place in The Big Easy. Starring Scott Bakula and CCH Pounder. David Bianculli: You know what you’re getting here: a solid star (Scott Bakula), a proven premise, and a seemingly indestructible franchise. Plus, it shoots exteriors in New Orleans. Put that all together, and NCIS: New Orleans has more palatable ingredients than a turducken. How can it miss?



Eric Gould: More NCIS from the people that brought you NCIS. Bill Brioux: Scott Bakula leads a new team in a new city as they endeavor to push the median age of the average CBS viewer over a cliff.



Donna J. Plesh: The NCIS franchise expands with this one set in New Orleans. Scott Bakula stars in this spinoff filming in New Orleans, which gives it a nice, different vibe from its predecessors. Jonathan Storm: Really? Maybe Scott Bakula will figure out who guzzled the gumbo and made off with the étouffée.



Ed Martin: The appetite for all things NCIS is insatiable – much like the appetites of foodies in New Orleans. CBS has nothing to worry about here.



black-ish

Premieres September 24

Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET

ABC



This sitcom stars Anthony Anderson (Law & Order, Guys with Kids) as a father whose success brings much to his family – maybe too much. Also stars Tracee Ellis Ross (Girlfriends) and Laurence Fishburne (Hannibal, CSI). David Bianculli: I wish the premiere episode were funnier – but the characters show lots of promise here, as does the premise. I like that it’s a show that’s about something – and I love Larry Fishburne as the gruff family patriarch.



Bill Brioux: Is only funny-ish. Was expecting more from the pilot given the cast (Anthony Anderson, Laurence Fishburne) and the producer (Larry Wilmore). It is a sign of how bad network comedies are this year that this one keeps getting singled out. Jonathan Storm: Poor Anthony Anderson. He’s making it in advertising and has a nice place in the suburbs with a pretty and accomplished wife and four great kids. But he’s worried he’s losing his African-American roots. It’s a sweet, yet provocative sitcom, one of the best of the new ones. If it can pass through a few growing pains, it could become a solid companion piece to Modern Family. Ed Martin: Inside this merely good pilot is a very good show trying to get out. I think it will in time. This is ABC’s best family sitcom since Modern Family and The Middle.



Eric Gould: ABC’s first fall sitcom about American assimilation, this one about a dad who’s made it to the upper middle-class in LA but wants his suburban kids to be "blacker" than they are. Hilarious antics ensue and valuable lessons are learned.



MYSTERIES OF LAURA

Premieres September 24

Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET

NBC



Debra Messing stars in a dramedy that asks the age old question: Can you have it all? As NYPD Detective Laura Diamond, Messing attempts to solve homicide cases, take care of her twin boys and deal with her ex-husband. Also starring Josh Lucas. David Bianculli: Any TV couple, even an estranged couple, with young kids this unruly is a couple that’s all but impossible to like. And despite liking Debra Messing, a lot, I can’t generate any enthusiasm for this mom-as-detective series. If it clicks with viewers, it’ll be a mystery to me. The premiere even steals a famous line from Bill Cosby and The Cosby Show, giving it to Messing’s flustered mom without attribution: “I brought you into this world – and I can take you out!” That line was fresh when Cosby said it, 30 years ago. Now, just like The Mysteries of Laura, not so much…



Ed Martin: Given the track records of various members of this show’s cast and production team, Laura is shockingly ill-formed and uneven. I would like to dismiss it as NBC’s worst new show, but Bad Judge is a throbbing contender. Debra Messing deserves so much better. Ed Bark: Straight-ahead, close-ended crime solving is the overall intent, with Messing's Laura Diamond deducing the weekly murderer in a manner that suggests both the board game Clue and the old Columbo whodunits. But a fairly inventive plot twist at the end can't save the opening hour from otherwise being all over the place. Messing seems to be trying hard, but in a role and a show that just don't suit her talents.



Eric Gould: If Columbo was a working Mommy who was separated, but still in love with her estranged, co-policeman hubby. Fluffy, comic fun for Debra Messing fans who like Murder, She Wrote whodunit mysteries. Jonathan Storm: The big mystery is how so many capable folks, including star Debra Messing, could make such a screechingly unlikable series about a supposedly lovable murder detective who’s also a mom.



Bill Brioux: Ay caramba! Debra Messing hams her way through this wheezy remake of a Spanish language drama. She plays a super cop who looks good in heels. Her home life, however, is a mess! Officer Lucy, you got some ‘splainin’ to do! Also, besides it making the cut and McG being among the producers, there is absolutely no mystery.



HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER

Premieres September 25

Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET

ABC



A legal drama from Shonda Rhimes (Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal) and starring Viola Davis as a law professor – well, do we really need to say much more? David Bianculli: This new series is the completion of the Shonda Rhimes ABC Thursday night trifecta. And while Viola Davis is fine, and welcome, as the series lead – a young, black, female law professor version of John Houseman’s brittle and acerbic Prof. Kingsfield from The Paper Chase – there’s a line between interesting and compelling, and How to Get Away with Murder never crosses it.



Bill Brioux: Viola Davis has plenty of series lead star power here as brilliant college professor Annalise Keating. She handpicks four of her law students to help her crack cases. It’s a bit like House in its means-to-an-end, formulaic adventures. Best network show title since Desperate Housewives. Eric Gould: Perhaps ABC’s best fall shot with Viola Davis as a hard-as-nails law professor who’s also a rock star defense attorney with a few skeletons in her own closet. Brash, cut-and-splice timelines and an audacious B-story make for rocking whodunit fun.



Donna J. Plesh: Viola Davis. Viola Davis. Viola Davis. She is great as a tough criminal law professor in this drama with soapy overtones. A must watch! Jonathan Storm: Viola Davis is sensational in the latest from Shonda Rhimes on ABC, which has cleverly counterprogrammed CBS’s Thursday night football with an all-Rhimes lineup of soap. Davis’ tough-as-nails character, who teaches criminal defense law, leads a group of Philadelphia students who get caught up in a real murder.



Ed Martin: Dark, twisty and sexy fun. The only broadcast pilot this season that left me anxious to see more. The year ahead will be all about Viola Davis and her bright young co-stars.



SELFIE

Premieres September 30

Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET

ABC



A social media-obsessed 21st century version of My Fair Lady starring John Cho (Harold and Kumar…, Sleepy Hollow) and Scotland’s own Karen Gillan (Doctor Who). David Bianculli: Karen Gillan, a recent companion from Doctor Who, plays a super-narcissistic, social-media-obsessed young woman who comes to a reserved but respected marketing whiz (John Cho) to basically “rebrand” her, and teach her how to be more… liked. It’s My Fair Lady for a new generation, and yes, she’s even called Eliza, so there’s no missing the inspiration. But after the overly aggressive opening (really, were two air-sickness bags necessary for the sight gag?), Selfie settles into something that might actually work. But if Eliza learns too quickly, the show’s over. Eric Gould: A modern reboot of My Fair Lady — substituting the street-talking ingenue with an office worker who’s a Facebook maven. She’s remade by a Henry Higgins-type (he’s an uptight metrosexual here) who begins to retrain her out of her self-absorbed, social media ways. A featherweight half-hour if you need one. Ed Martin: I adore Karen Gillan. So it killed me to see her in this dumb rom-com that fancies itself a modern take on My Fair Lady. Doctor Who fans, spare yourselves!



Bill Brioux: Just as annoying as the title implies.



MANHATTAN LOVE STORY

Premieres September 30

Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET

ABC



A romantic comedy about the start of a relationship that lets us listen in on what each person is really thinking. Starring Jake McDorman (Shameless) and Analeigh Tipton (Hung). David Bianculli: This new series tells the story of Peter and Dana, not only through their eyes, but through their thoughts – like the “what-they’re-really-thinking” balcony scene from Woody Allen’s classic Annie Hall. A whole episode built around that gimmick, it turns out, is bad enough – but the prospect of an ongoing series is even worse. You don’t want to know what I’m really thinking right now. Ed Martin: Love the concept. Like the cast. Loathe the execution.



Bill Brioux: The young model/actress at the center of this made such a bad impression at press tour it pretty much erased the curious, quirky impression she made on the pilot screener. Either way, one of several forgettable comedies this season. Eric Gould: A light hipster romance-of-errors where we hear what she and he are really thinking before they awkwardly stammer out something else. She’s the self-conscious hot mess, he’s a prince in cad’s clothing. Wouldn’t you know it, they’re meant to be.



STALKER

Premieres October 1

Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET

CBS



From Kevin Williamson (The Vampire Diaries, The Following), a drama about the Threat Assessment Unit of the LAPD starring Dylan McDermott (American Horror Story, The Practice) and Maggie Q (Nikita). David Bianculli: Like Kevin Williamson’s previous series, The Following, this new show seems to get more kick, and kicks, out of the deviant villains than the purported heroes. It’s the most mean-spirited series of the new season – and thus, because of its sadistic and misogynist tone alone, the worst.



Bill Brioux: I’m too ascared to watch this entire pilot. Also it bothers me that, in a season filled with shows about women and empowerment, this creepy peek-a-boo drama showcasing women in jeopardy is still something a major broadcaster feels it needs to program and exploit. Ed Martin: I hated every single thing about this violent and disturbing show, except for series leads Maggie Q and Dylan McDermott. I expressed similar disgust for the very similar Criminal Minds ten years ago. In other words, it looks as though CBS has another hateful hit on its hands!



Eric Gould: For those surfing for random depraved violence, here’s one that starts with an immolation. Maggie Q and Dylan McDermott as detectives investigating stalking incidents. Not much here beyond the usual Sociopath of the Week and McDermott still stalking a new hit series. Jonathan Storm: This controversial (for its violence and mistreatment of women) show is, at base, just another CBS procedural. It stars Dylan McDermott (him, again) and Maggie Q as specially skilled detectives who track particularly bad guys and probably women, too. I’m sticking with CSI.



BAD JUDGE Premieres October 2 Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET NBC A comedy starring Kate Walsh (Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice) as a criminal court judge with unconventional courtroom practices and a private life that is even more out-of-order. Executive Producers include Liz Brixius (Nurse Jackie), Will Ferrell and Anne Heche. David Bianculli: Kate Walsh is game for just about anything – even a courtroom variation on the Bad Teacher idea that has her acting outrageously both on and off the bench. Outrageously, but not humorously. This is another NBC oxymoronic specialty: the unfunny comedy. Bill Brioux: Named after whoever gave this a green light. Am I right people?



Ed Martin: Bad Judge – Bad show.



Jonathan Storm: Even the network doesn’t like this misguided sitcom wasting Kate Walsh as a hard-partying magistrate. The show has had more personnel changes than a last-place baseball team. The handful of fans it may find will be disappointed when it’s among the season’s first cancellations. Donna J. Plesh: Kate Walsh plays a good judge with a bad personal life. It’s a comedy but it’s not funny. Liz Brixius, one of the creators of Nurse Jackie, joined the show as showrunner in May and departed a few weeks ago. Not a good sign.



A to Z

Premieres October 2

Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. ET

NBC



A romantic comedy that follows the relationship between Andrew (Ben Feldman, Mad Men) and Zelda (Cristin Milioti, How I Met Your Mother) from beginning to end. Among other characters on the show are work colleagues, best friends and the narrator, Katey Sagal (Sons of Anarchy). David Bianculli: “This is like the kind of story that people tell their kids,” one character says to the other here. No, it isn’t. A drawn-out story of a romance with a predetermined bad ending? I don’t call that a sitcom. I call it life. The leads are good – the guy from Mad Men, the girl from How I Met Your Mother – but the comedy is not. You lost me at A. Donna J. Plesh: A couple meet cute and try to figure out if they are meant for each other. It’s a comedy and it’s not funny. Doubtful it will survive for a trip to the altar.



Eric Gould: The How-They-Met-Cute backstory of a guy who believes in love and a girl who doesn’t. Ben Feldmen (he’s the de-nippled Ginsberg from Mad Men) and Cristin Milioti (How I Met Your Mother, Wolf of Wall Street) have a sparky, believable chemistry and the hipster comedy, set around a match.com-like website, has its charm. Bill Brioux: Why, oh why did those bastards on How I Met Your Mother kill Cristin Milioti’s character last season? Apparently so she could play a no-nonsense lawyer named Zelda on this series opposite Ben Feldman (Mad Men). These two meet cute and the pilot is a nice little movie, not unlike 500 Days of Summer. It’s just not a series, although the leads are adorable.



Ed Martin: Another middling rom-com built around a gimmick guaranteed to become uninteresting by episode two.



GRACEPOINT

Premieres October 2

Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET

Fox



A remake of the British crime drama Broadchurch, Gracepoint is a 10-episode “mystery event series” about the murder of a young boy in a small town. Starring David Tennant (Doctor Who) as the lead investigator, just as he was in the original, and Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad) as his fellow detective. David Bianculli: It’s the U.K. Broadchurch miniseries, transplanted to Twin Peaks territory in the northwestern U.S. – with Breaking Bad star Anna Gunn paired with original Broadchurch star David Tennant. The former Doctor Who plays the same role as in Broadchurch, but with an American accent. Why? Considering the high quality of the original, I have no idea. It’s worth watching – but Broadchurch was better, and first. Bill Brioux: An Americanization of the UK drama Broadchurch, right down to casting David Tennant. He again plays the lead cop investigating the brutal murder of a child, this time in Northern California. Anna Gunn, Nick Nolte and Michael Pena round out a top cast, but it’s not like the British series was in Gaelic. Still, if you missed the original, you can burn through this in 10 very sad episodes.



Eric Gould: A faithful remake of the UK Broadchurch for American audiences which begs the question – why not just watch Broadchurch? David Tenant returns to his lead role from the original with a passable American accent as a savant-like detective with Anna Gunn as his unwilling partner – and so anorexic-looking, I almost missed her. Donna J. Plesh: I loved Broadchurch on BBC America last season. David Tennant was great as a cop hunting the murderer of a young boy. He stars in this U.S. remake along with Anna Gunn. The premise is the same but the Brit version is oh so much better.



Ed Martin: For those of us who watched and championed the great British drama Broadchurch last year, this show is virtually impossible to objectively evaluate. There is no escaping the fact that it suffers by comparison. But it is well produced, and most Americans haven’t seen Broadchurch, so it’s fair to say that Fox may have a shot here.



MULANEY

Premieres October 5

Sundays at 9:30 p.m. ET

Fox



A ensemble comedy revolving around the sitcom life of stand-up comic and writer John Mulaney (SNL) that also stars Martin Short and Elliott Gould. David Bianculli: There are four strong players in this comedy: standup comic John Mulaney, comedy icon Martin Short, Saturday Night Live veteran Nasim Pedrad, and Elliott Gould. And while some of Mulaney’s opening standup segment is funny, and Short and Pedrad get off a few good moments, this new series invites, if not demands, comparisons to Seinfeld, and comes up way short. But Short, by himself, demands and deserves some time to settle in here. Jonathan Storm: This is the anti-Seinfeld, about a comic (John Mulaney) and his pals, including a rotund pot dealer with a beard and a strange orange hat. The producers may have failed to roll Newman, Kramer, and George Costanza all into one, but they have succeeded in rolling the humor out of the proceedings. Not even the consistently sublime Martin Short and Elliott Gould, as supporting characters, can save it.



Ed Martin: One word: Unremarkable. Bill Brioux: Seinfeld-lite, with SNL grad John Mulaney as a younger, smugger Jer. Martin Short shows restraint as a vain, Ted Baxter-ish game show host. Elliot Gould does not as the gayest cartoon character on television since Snagglepuss.



Eric Gould: John Mulaney in a by-the-numbers live audience sitcom with Martin Short as the whacky tyrannical boss. Mulaney’s got his own white bread charm at moments, breaking the fourth wall by starting the show with stand-up on a dark set.



THE FLASH

Premieres October 7

Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET

CW



A spin-off of Arrow, The Flash stars Grant Gustin (Glee) as the superhero with superhuman speed. The show was developed and is executive produced by Andrew Kreisberg (Arrow, Fringe), Geoff Johns (Arrow, Robot Chicken) and Greg Berlanti (Arrow, Brothers & Sisters), who is also producing this fall’s The Mysteries of Laura. David Bianculli: A surprisingly good fall entry: Lighter in tone and smarter in execution than its parent program, Arrow, this new DC Comics series gets off to an unexpectedly, yet appropriately, fast start. Ed Martin: More fun than any other new series on the networks this fall, including the comedies! Everything about this show works, which is somewhat remarkable considering it is all about a hero whose only super-power is that he can run really fast. Grant Gustin, as the title character, will be one of the big breakout stars of the season.

Eric Gould: Paint-by-the-numbers CW fare with telegenic teens and a warmed-over superhero script. Mindless YA drama – but plenty of snazzy CGI if you’re in the mood.



Bill Brioux: Like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on fast forward. Grant Gustin seems pretty down-to-earth and earnest as The Fastest Man Alive, sorta Opie in overdrive. Tom Cavanagh is the wheelchair-bound brainiac behind the turbo tweak.





CRISTELA

Premieres October 10

Fridays at 8:30 p.m. ET

ABC



This sitcom, centered on comedian Cristela Alonzo, intends to remind viewers about the American dream. Cristela is in her sixth year of law school and battling the old-world beliefs of her Mexican-American family who believes pursuing success is not really something she should be doing. David Bianculli: Media watchdogs are hailing this as the year of the minority on TV, counting all the shows in which different ethnicities are cast as the leads in prime-time series. That’s because, in some cases, they’re only counting, not watching. Cristela is an exercise in bilingual boredom: Unfunny in any language.



Bill Brioux: Stand-up comedian Cristela Alonzo explores the zany world of her Mexican-American family. The pilot features a kitchen full of very loud women. Eric Gould: ABC’s second sitcom about American assimilation, this one about a boot-strapping Latina trying to work her way through law school and forced to live with her sister’s family. More easy-bake comedy about the foibles of class and ethnicity. Cristela Alonzo is likable enough but has to mug her way through a bunch of telegraphed, clunky, live audience crowd-pleasers. Ed Martin: Stereotypes and the easy humor they generate abound, but maybe that’s the point. We’ve seen every one of these characters before, but never in so pleasing a mix, and never so uniformly well played by so talented a group of unknown actors.



JANE THE VIRGIN

Premieres October 10

Fridays at 8:30 p.m. ET

CW



A young Latina woman, Jane (played by Gina Rodriguez), has pledged to stay a virgin until she is married. Unfortunately, she finds herself accidentally pregnant through no fault of her own. You read that correctly. David Bianculli: Despite what I just said, regarding Cristela, about “bilingual boredom,” this new CW series not only is funny in two languages, it’s among the very best shows of the new season. I was taken by surprise at how entertaining, and smart, this telenovela adaptation is – and its star, Gina Rodriguez, should be embraced by viewers, immediately and very measurably.



Bill Brioux: The young actress at the center of this series, Gina Rodriguez, is so winning, so easy to root for, you drop whatever reservations you might have had about the title and find yourself recommending this to friends. This sweet, charming and low-key series both embraces and gently mocks the TV format that inspired it: Telenovelas. Based on a Venezuelan series. Ed Martin: Gina Rodriguez, who plays the title character in this delightful and surprising comedy-drama, will be the other big breakout star of the season (alongside her network mate Grant Gustin). Here’s hoping Jane will stand out amid all those vampires, demons and superheroes on The CW.



Jonathan Storm: She’s pregnant. She’s a virgin. And this delightful comic drama, based on a Venezuelan telenovela, seems like it might have been touched by God. Who else could make such apparent craziness seem so smart and funny? Gina Rodriguez, who plays Jane, one of those long-struggling “newcomers,” is this season’s TV find. Eric Gould: Not an unlikeable pilot about a good-hearted Latino girl who has arduously maintained her virginity – and becomes pregnant. You can’t even get close to discussing the miracle without spoiling it. Not sure if there is a whole series here, but the pilot is clever.