TV Upfronts: FOX's New Shows for 2012-2013

FOX's has also officially unveiled its 2012-2013 schedule, and has provided trailers for the five new shows gracing its line-up.

Ben & Kate

From the looks of it, FOX is going to take a run at the single-cam, family comedy that's become synonymous with ABC with Ben & Kate and The Goodwin Games. Well, I suppose sibling comedy is more accurate, but I digress. This one has potential, but I got a creepy rom-com vibe from the trailer which was a little off-putting since it's supposed to be about siblings. Weird.

The Mindy Project

Speaking of rom-coms, one of the buzziest shows of the new season may also be one of the weakest because I was not impressed by the trailer for The Mindy Project. It just felt too cliched and worn out, and we haven't even seen a full episode yet. I like Mindy Kalling, but this one could be problematic.

The Mob Doctor

For me, the key to whether or not I'll be watching The Mob Doctor will be its format. If it's a heavily serialized crime drama, then I could be all-in. If it's another edgy procedural with some mildly interesting overarching elements, then I might have to pass.

The Following

The way I feel about The Mob Doctor is pretty much the same way I feel about The Following, but the idea of a cult of serial killers is inherently more intriguing than a doctor for the mob.

The Goodwin Games

I disliked the concept of The Goodwin Games the second I read it, but I think that had more to do with the fact that I'm tired of being screwed over by How I Met Your Mother. After watching this trailer, I'm more inclined to give this one a shot because it seems like it has the right amount of humor and heart which is always a winning combo.

News: FOX Joins NBC in the Early Upfront Game

Yesterday unofficially kicked off the television upfront season as NBC picked up five new shows. The Peacock continued to chug along today, but this time FOX joined in on the fun by sending five newbies to series while renewing one show and cancelling two others.

Joining Grimm, Smash, Go On, Save Me, The New Normal, 1600 Penn, Animal Practice, Revolution and Hannibal on the 2012-2013 NBC schedule will be the Jimmy Fallon produced Guys with Kids, Chicago Fire and the returning Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. What's interesting about the Fallon pick up is the fact that it's a multi-cam show which means NBC is still committed to bringing back the format, but what will it be paired up with? Could this be a good sign for Whitney?

Meanwhile, FOX made its first moves since renewing Bones, Glee, New Girl, Raising Hope, Fringe and the entire Animation Domination line-up (sans Napoleon Dynamite and Allen Gregory). On the comedy side, the network picked up Mindy Kaling's It's Messy as well as Ben & Kate and The Goodwin Games from the HIMYM guys. As for dramas, the other no-brainer, the Kevin Williamson FBI/serial killer pilot, was added to the roster along with The Mob Doctor and Touch. Unfortunately, the news was not good for Alcatraz and The Finder; both were officially canceled. I won't go into my disappointment about the cancellation of The Finder because that's a topic for another blog post, but I can't say that I was surprised by any of FOX's moves.

Once again, I'll hopefully be sharing my thoughts on the entire 2012-2013 schedule once Upfronts are officially done, so come on back. Until then, don't forget to check out my Armchair Programmer Series.