As always, it’s The CW that finishes up each year’s Upfronts, following on from NBC, USA, CBS, Fox and ABC. Also as always, the network doesn’t have many new shows to flaunt. That’s because it’s got a great big roster of returning superhero shows, among others – gone are the days when women aged 16-30 were the network’s sole target; the median age of its viewers is now 43.
It’s also because it’s now got Supergirl, which is moving over from sister company CBS for its second season. The network is already promising mega crossovers between all the superhero shows, although whether we’ll get a single The Flash/Arrow/Supergirl/DC’s Legends of Tomorrow crossover, multiple crossovers or crossovers between different subsets of the shows remains to be seen. Also remaining to be seen, given the show’s impending relocation to Vancouver for filming and reduced budget, is whether Calista Flockheart will be along for the ride, given that the LA filming of Supergirl was one of the reasons she signed up for the show in the first place.
Anyway, no new footage for Supergirl, but The CW has put together a couple of little trailers to promote its new arrival and expanding portfolio.
There are four new shows in total, but only two new new shows to look at after the jump:
- Frequency: Adaptation of the movie with 2016 cop Peyton List is able to use her ham radio to talk to her dead father in 1996 and change history, not always for the better.
- No Tomorrow: Adaptation of a Brazillian show, with staid office worker meeting carefree hunk. One problem: he thinks the world will end in just a few months. But he’s hot so they decide to work through their bucket lists together.
The remaining new new show, Riverdale, is an adaptation of the Archie comic, but it’s a mid-season replacement and there’s no trailer, so there’s nothing to be done.
Frequency
Short version
Solving crimes using time travel ain’t as great an idea as it sounds – and may seriously affect your family, with much accompanying weeping and grimacing.
Long version
Detective Raimy Sullivan (Peyton List) has always wanted to prove that she is nothing like her father. In 1996, when Raimy was eight years old, NYPD Officer Frank Sullivan (Riley Smith) left Raimy and her mother, Julie (Devin Kelley), behind when he went deep undercover, got corrupted, and got himself killed. Or so the story has always gone. Few people knew about the secret undercover sting operation Frank was really charged with, led by Stan Moreno (Anthony Ruivivar), who has now risen to Deputy Chief of Police. Frank’s former partner, Lieutenant Satch Reyna (Mekhi Phifer), is now Raimy’s mentor and friend, and he has urged her to let go of the hurt and anger she still feels about Frank’s disappearance and death, but the old pain still lingers. Raimy can barely bring herself to discuss Frank, even with her devoted boyfriend, Daniel (Daniel Bonjour), or her childhood friend, Gordo (Lenny Jacobson).
Now, twenty years later, Raimy is stunned when a voice suddenly crackles through her father’s old, long-broken ham radio – it’s Frank, somehow transmitting over the airwaves and through the decades from 1996. They’re both shocked and confused, but Raimy shakes Frank to the core when she warns him that the secret sting he is undertaking will lead to his death. Armed with that knowledge, Frank survives the attempt on his life. But changing history has dramatically affected Raimy’s life in the present – and there have been tragic consequences. Separated by twenty years, father and daughter have reunited on a frequency only they can hear, but can they rewrite the story of their lives without risking everyone they love?
Frequency is from Warner Bros. Television in association with Lin Pictures, with executive producers Jeremy Carver (Supernatural), Toby Emmerich (The Notebook feature film), John Rickard (Horrible Bosses), Dan Lin (The LEGO Movie, Sherlock Holmes) and Jennifer Gwartz (Veronica Mars).
TMINE’s verdict
The CW as always remains loyal to one of its own, List having now starred in The Tomorrow People and guested several times on The Flash. Of all the various time travel shows unveiled this year (Timeless, Time After Time, Time-Traveling Bong, Making History), this looks like it could be the best one, and the one I’m most likely to stick with. All the same, as we’ve seen from Beauty and the Beast, police procedurals and fantasy don’t usually work on The CW, and YA serial killer wa a lazy plot device 20 years ago.
No Tomorrow
Short version
Manic dream pixie guy is mental but still a lot of fun to be with.
Long version
Evie Callahan (Tori Anderson), a risk-averse quality-control assessor, appreciates order. Whenever she’s making a list, “make a list” is both the first thing on it and the first thing crossed off. Such a regimented life has its drawbacks. Her on-again/off-again romance with the sweet, but soft-spoken Timothy (Jesse Rath) has sputtered out. Her career has stalled. Her boss, Deirdre (Amy Pietz), a petty tyrant with breath that could kill a plant, laughs off her ambitions. Then Evie meets charming, free-spirited Xavier Holliday (Joshua Sasse), and the attraction is immediate and electric. He brings a jolt of joyful, rollicking romance into her life. Xavier encourages Evie to carpe that diem, because it’s more fun that way and because, well, the apocalypse is, you know, nigh. He believes humankind has a mere eight months and twelve days until a runaway asteroid smacks us all into stardust. That’s why he made an Apocalyst – a tally of every last thing he wants to do before the world goes kaput. So with the help of her friends – Hank (Jonathan Langdon), a diehard conspiracy theorist, and Kareema (Sarayu Blue), a droll nihilist – Evie must decide whether Xavier is certifiable and whether that even matters, if being with him means living her life more fully.
Based on the International Emmy-nominated Brazilian format from Grupo Globo, No Tomorrow is a romantic comedy with the ultimate ticking clock. No Tomorrow is from CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television in association with Electus, with executive producers Corinne Brinkerhoff (American Gothic, Jane The Virgin, The Good Wife), Maggie Friedman (Witches of East End) and Ben Silverman (Jane The Virgin, The Office).
TMINE’s verdict
Very winning, slightly irritating main characters, and a few jokes that work. But this could get very annoying, very quickly, unless their mutual bucket lists turn out to be a lot more interesting than karaoke.
The CW FALL 2016-17 SCHEDULE
(New programmes in UPPER CASE)
MONDAY
8-9 PM — Supergirl
9-10 PM — Jane The Virgin
TUESDAY
8-9 PM — The Flash
9-10 PM — NO TOMORROW
WEDNESDAY
8-9 PM — Arrow
9-10 PM — FREQUENCY
THURSDAY
8-9 PM — DC’S Legends of Tomorrow
9-10 PM — Supernatural
FRIDAY
8-9 PM — The Vampire Diaries
9-10 PM — Crazy Ex-Girlfriend