Sunday 2 June 2013

A Look At ABC's New Dramas (2013-2014)

Betrayal

ABC's Pitch: A chance meeting leads photographer Sara Hadley (Hannah Ware) and Attorney Jack McAllister (Stuart Townsend) to an undeniable instant attraction. Sara’s husband, Drew (Chris Johnson), is a successful prosecutor with political aspirations. Jack is married to Elaine (Wendy Moniz) the daughter of his boss Thacher Karsten (James Cromwell). When Karsten’s brother-in-law Lou is murdered, all evidence points to Karsten’s son T.J. (Henry Thomas). Jack, the company’s lead council, will have to defend him. For Sara’s prosecutor husband Drew, this is the kind of high-profile murder case that can secure his political future. Just as Sara and Jack’s affair is starting, the lovers will find themselves in an impossible situation—on opposite sides of a murder investigation.

 
My Thoughts: This seems like a relationship drama based around a very thin concept, so the shows actual plot will need to be a lot more compelling. I don't think I'll be watching.


Killer Women

ABC's Pitch: Of all the notorious lawmen who ever patrolled the violent Texas frontier, none are more storied than the Texas Rangers. Being the only female ranger in this elite squad isn’t going to stop ballsy, badass Molly Parker (Tricia Helfer). Molly is committed to finding the truth and seeing justice served. While she’s surrounded by law enforcement colleagues who want to see her fail, including Police Lieutenant Estaban Salazar (Vic Trevino), the Rangers have her back, led by Company Commander Luis Zea (Alex Fernandez). Molly’s also got her brother Billy (Michael Trucco) and his wife Nessa (Marta Milans). On the verge of getting divorced from her smarmy husband Jake (Jeffrey Nordling), Molly begins an affair with sexy DEA agent, Dan Winston (Marc Blucas).


My Thoughts: While action-packed, a female lead trying to break into a traditionally male field is a used formula and could make for painful viewing. I won't be watching.


Lucky 7

ABC's Pitch: In Astoria, Queens, a group of seven gas station employees have been chipping into a lottery pool for months, never thinking they’d actually win. Money could solve problems for each of them. Matt (Matt Long) could get his girlfriend and two kids out of his mother’s house. Matt’s brother Nicky (Stephen Louis Grush), an ex-con, could pay off a dangerous debt. Samira (Summer Bishil), a second-generation Pakistani immigrant, could afford to go to Juilliard. Denise (Lorraine Bruce), a plucky cashier, could focus on rebuilding her crumbling marriage. Leanne (Anastasia Phillips), a young mother, could help her daughter realize her dreams. Bob (Isiah Whitlock, Jr.), the store’s manager, could finally retire, and Antonio (Luis Antonio Ramos) could give his wife and kids a whole new life.


My Thoughts: The show has an interesting premise, and plenty of characters to use for storyline potential, but it remains to be seen where the show will try and go after the pilot. I won't be watching.


Marvel's Agents of SHIELD

ABC's Pitch: Clark Gregg reprises his role of Agent Phil Coulson from Marvel’s feature films, as he assembles a small, highly select group of Agents from the worldwide law-enforcement organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Together they investigate the new, the strange, and the unknown across the globe, protecting the ordinary from the extraordinary. Coulson's team consists of Agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), highly trained in combat and espionage; Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen), expert pilot and martial artist; Agent Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker), brilliant engineer; and Agent Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge), genius bio-chemist. Joining them on their journey into mystery is new recruit and computer hacker, Skye (Chloe Bennet).


My Thoughts: Definitely has an exciting universe to explore, is action heavy, funny, and has a strong ensemble cast. I will be watching.


Mind Games

ABC's Pitch: Clark (Steve Zahn) and Ross (Christian Slater) Edwards are brothers and partners in a unique agency committed to solving clients’ problems using the hard science of psychological manipulation. Clark is a former professor and a world-renowned expert in the field of human behavior. He has a checkered history due to bipolar disorder, which sometimes results in quirky, manic episodes. His older brother Ross is a slick con man who spent time in prison. Each in their own way knows what makes people tick. Drawing from the most cutting edge research in psychology, they can a tailor a plan to influence any situation. It’s a little bit science, a little bit con artistry plus a smattering of Jedi mind tricks. The brothers, along with their team of master manipulators are offering clients an alternative to fate.


My Thoughts: It's seems like a fun, heartwarming show, but the premise is very far-fetched. I won't be watching.


Once Upon A Time In Wonderland

ABC's Pitch: In Victorian England, the young and beautiful Alice (Sophie Lowe) tells a tale of a strange new land that exists on the other side of a rabbit hole. An invisible cat, a hookah smoking caterpillar and playing cards that talk are just some of the fantastic things she’s seen during this impossible adventure. Surely this troubled girl must be insane and her doctors aim to cure her with a treatment that will make her forget everything. Alice seems ready to put it all behind her, especially the painful memory of the genie she fell in love with and lost forever—the handsome and mysterious Cyrus (Peter Gadiot). But deep down Alice knows this world is real and just in the nick of time, the sardonic Knave of Hearts (Michael Socha) and the irrepressible White Rabbit (John Lithgow) arrive to save her from a doomed fate. Together, the trio will take a tumble down the rabbit hole to this Wonderland where nothing is impossible.


My Thoughts: Although it's visually pleasing, it's hard to see where the show will go other than on an expansive and drawn out journey. I won't be watching.


Ressurrection

ABC's Pitch: The people of Arcadia, Missouri are forever changed when their deceased loved ones suddenly start to return. An 8-year-old American boy (Landon Gimenez) wakes up alone in a rice paddy in a rural Chinese province with no idea how he got there. Details start to emerge when the boy, who calls himself Jacob, recalls that his hometown is Arcadia and an immigration agent, Martin Bellamy (Omar Epps), takes him there. The home he claims as his own is occupied by an elderly couple, Harold (Kurtwood Smith) and Lucille Garland (Frances Fisher), who lost their son Jacob more than 30 years ago. While they look different, young Jacob recognizes them as his parents. Those closest to the family try to unravel this impossible mystery, including Sheriff Fred Garland (Matt Craven) whose wife Barbara drowned 30 years ago trying to save Jacob. But this boy who claims to be the deceased Jacob knows secrets about his own death that no one else knows—secrets that Fred’s daughter Gail (Devin Kelly) will begin to investigate and discover to be true.


My Thoughts: An intriguing premise, it'll be interesting to see how well the story can be prolonged though. I'll be watching.

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