Cable and premium channels are light on new shows and heavy on returning shows. An overwhelming amount of content exists across cable and premimum. Overwhelming's not even the right word to use to describe the the amount of shows available to watch. There can be too much of a good thing. I won't remember these shows below premiering because of all the other shows premiering at the same time.
BBC AMERICA
ATLANTIS
Created By Howard Overman, Johnny Cappsa world of bull leaping, of snake haired Goddesses and of palaces so vast it was said they were built by giants - this is the lost city of Atlantis.
THOUGHTS: Misfits is beloved by people from many continents, and Merlin had a never-ending run, so Atlantis seems to be in good hands. Capps said at the TCAs that the series would mix comedy and drama, which is what most genre shows mix, it'd be mix different parts of Greek mythology. Atlantis is premiering five days before Thanksgiving. Every show you watch won't air new episodes until early December. If I remember, I'll give Atlantis a shot. BBC America's a reliably entertaining channel. Orphan Black was great fun.
DISNEY
WANDER OVER YONDER
Created By Craig McCracken
PREMIERE DATE: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 AT 9PM
PREMISE: (from Disney Channel's press release, July 2013) The new comedy follows best friends, eternally-optimistic intergalactic traveler and constant do-gooder Wander and his quick-tempered but loyal steed Sylvia. Together, they travel through the cosmos happening upon one freewheeling adventure after another, making new friends (and foes) all while battling numerous forces of evil, including the infamous Lord Hater and his army of Watchdogs.
THOUGHTS: My sister was over on Saturday. I happened to put on Gravity Falls during the half of Aston Villa/Liverpool. My sister and I grew up with Doug, Hey Arnold, Angry Beavers, Ahh Real Monsters, Rugrats, etc. We watched The Simpsons and South Park when we were allowed. My sister's reaction to Gravity Fallswere telling. Animated series aren't the same in the present. Gravity Falls appeals to me because of its insane sense of fun and sense of humor. Its creator is about my age, and it's like the kind of animated show I'd make if given the opportunity. Wander Over Yonder is another animated series that subverts and surprises. Lauren Faust told GamerLiveTV at the 2012 Comic Con that the series is more about love versus hate than good versus evil. I'm into the new crop of animated series such as Phineas and Ferb, Adventure Time, Gravity Falls, The Regular Show, etc. I'm inclined to watch Wander Over Yonder weekly.
LIV & MADDIE
Created By John Beck & Ron Hart
PREMIERE DATE: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 AT 8PM
PREMISE: (from Disney Channel's press release, July 2013) Disney Channel's "Liv and Maddie," a new comedy series starring Dove Cameron in the dual role of 15-year-old identical twin sisters Liv, a Hollywood star who has just returned home to Wisconsin and Maddie, a hometown basketball star, as they navigate high school life, mischievous brothers and each other's differences.
THOUGHTS: Dove Cameron's Tatiana Masleny-lite playing dual 15 year old identical twin sisters. I like how Liv & Maddie differentiates the attractive sister from the less attractive sister through pony tails and glasses. It reminds me of the late 90s. I just hope Dove keeps it together when she turns 18 in 3 years. She's probably going to cause chaos in five years at the VMAs. The youngest brother character has potential to stand-out. He made a Vegas joke I didn't understand after a refrigerator rolled down a flight of stairs. In fact, the entire scene came out of nowhere and concluded bizarrely. I don't think I'll watch the show, though.
HBO
HELLO LADIES
Created By Gene StupnitskyKev (Earl) , a loveable train wreck; and Hannah (Godliman), a care worker in the home and Derek's best friend. She is smart, witty and hard-working, but unlucky in love, and, like Derek, always puts other people first.
Thoughts: A better term should be coined for watching many episodes in a row without a break. Binge-watching is annoying to hear and to read. How about we state that we watched show x and enjoyed it? Why does it matter how fast one got through a series? Derek's another Netflix series created by a big name talent. Ricky Gervais' newest series will be available at midnight. I didn't get a good sense of the series from the trailer. It's like a different aspect of Gervais' persona. I'll get crap for this, but Gervais' look reminded me of Adam Sandler's Little Nicky. Just the look.
PBS
LAST TANGO IN HALIFAX
Created By Sally Wainwright
PREMIERE DATE: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 AT 8PM
PREMISE: (from PBS's press release, July 2013) LAST TANGO is an uplifting comedy/drama about romance and second chances. Full of zesty humor, authentic characters and glorious dialogue, it's about timeless love in a very modern setting.
THOUGHTS: The biggest surprise about Last Tango is its modern setting. I didn't think PBS bought anything from the BBC that didn't tell a World War II story. There are avenues to watch the series without relying on PBS. A 31 second preview depicted a series similar to some of Woody Allen's films.
THE PARADISE
Premieres in October
PREMISE: (from PBS's press release, May 2013) This adaptation of Emile Zola's beloved French novel is a rags-to-riches story of a young woman seduced by the dangerous charms of the modern world set against the Victorian splendor of a British department store.
THOUGHTS: When will The Hollow Crown run on PBS? Can anyone tell me? Oh, it premieres September 20. The adaptation seems like it could've been a 19th century novel. Oh, it was.
THE HOLLOW CROWN
PREMIERES FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 AT 9PM
THOUGHTS: The Hollow Crown series looks badass. I love Shakespeare's plays. I wrote my best college essays about Shakespeare. I compare reality TV shows to Shakespeare. I'm about to read every Shakespeare history play because I've only read Henry IV, part 1. I've been excited about The Hollow Crown for over a year. Seeing Henry IV dramatized will be special, especially with Tom Hiddlestone as young Hal, the future king of England. I watched a Shakespeare Uncovered on Richard II which completely opened up the text for me. Gillian Jacobs, from Community, panned it, but her panning of it got me even more interested in it. She described it as basically early existentialist. Watch this!
SHOWTIME
MOTHERS OF SEX
Created By Michelle Ashford
PREMIERE DATE: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 AT 10PM
PREMISE: (from Showtime's press release, August 2013) MASTERS OF SEX stars Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan, who will portray the real-life pioneers of the science of human sexuality, William Masters and Virginia Johnson. The series chronicles the unusual lives, romance and pop-culture trajectory of Masters and Johnson. Their research touched off the sexual revolution and took them from a mid-western teaching hospital in St. Louis to the cover of Time magazine.
THOUGHTS: Good ol' sexual intercourse.
TOMORROW: I preview the new shows on The CW and CBS.
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