The broadcast networks have almost 30 shows debuting this fall, including a futuristic tale from the Fringe team, a new Michael J. Fox sitcom and Marvel-ous adventures for the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. To help you prep for it all, TVLine is offering First Impressions of the not-for-review pilots.
Next up on our list….
THE SHOW | NBC's Sean Saves the World (Thursdays at 9/8c; premieres Oct. 3)
THE COMPETITION | ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, Fox’s Glee, CBS’ The Crazy Ones (new) and The CW’s Reign (new)
THE CAST | Sean Hayes (Will & Grace), Linda Lavin (Alice), Megan Hilty (Smash), Thomas Lennon (Reno 911!), Echo Kellum (Ben and Kate) and Samantha Isler
RELATED | Fall Preview: TVLine's Grid Showing What's On When and Versus What!
THE SET-UP | Hayes stars as Sean, a divorced dad whose teen daughter (played by Isler) comes to live with him just as the online retailer he manages is dealing with a demanding new boss (Lennon). “Helping” Sean with the transition is his sassy mother (Lavin), while Hilty and Kellum play his coworkers.
RELATED | TVLine's Guide to All the New Fall Shows
THE FIRST IMPRESSION | It’s tricky (and perhaps unfair) to make a call on this one, having not yet had a chance to see the reshot pilot that costars Hilty instead of Weeds‘ Lindsay Sloane — especially since the former is bound to bring more verve to the workplace scenes than the latter did. But first impressions are first impressions, and the fact is Sean could and will benefit from the tinkering. The original pilot was often sitcommy in its plotting (see: the washroom “escape” in the trailer below), with some of the supporting performances (including Lennon’s unrealistically demanding boss man) reading a bit OTT. Lavin brings her Emmy-nominated chops to the role of the caustic, quippy mom/grandmother, yet is at times weighed down by TV’s go-to trope of the Overt, Sexually Awakened Elder. Kellum, meanwhile, is a standout as Sean’s desperate-to-stay-employed yes-man.
RELATED | More First Impressions: ABC’s S.H.I.E.L.D., Fox's Brooklyn Nine-Nine, CBS' Mom, ABC's Wonderland, NBC's The Blacklist, The CW's Reign, ABC's Trophy Wife, Fox's Sleepy Hollow, CBS' Hostages, NBC's Ironside, ABC's Super Fun Night, The CW's The Tomorrow People, Fox's Almost Human, CBS' The Crazy Ones
THE TVLINE BOTTOM LINE | As noted above, I’m highly curious to see what added energy Hilty brings to Sean, as well as what other noodling might have been done as they reshot those large swaths of the pilot. NBC is surely glad to have landed Hayes’ new showcase (he’s also an EP), and surely will shuffle it around (as easily as swapping it with Michael J. Fox at 9:30) if it struggles against vets Grey’s and Glee — especially since Parks and Rec, while excellent, won’t exactly provide a boffo lead-in.
Watch a video preview for Sean Saves the World, then vote in our poll below.
Take Our Poll 
No comments:
Post a Comment