ABC has announced its 2014-2015 television schedule, and the network is saving most of its new dramas for mid-season as only two will make their debuts in the fall.
Most of the new fall shows on ABC are comedies, so Forever and How to Get Away with Murder end up standing out more as a result. But can they be successful? One of them is a Shonda Rhimes show, so already that should pique your interest. Take a look at first look clips below:
ABC’s 2014-2015 Schedule: Three-Hour Shonda Rhimes Block on Thursdays >>>
Forever
Time Slot: Tuesdays at 10pm
Premise: Ioan Gruffudd stars as New York medical examiner Dr. Henry Morgan — and he’s got a secret. What is it? He’s immortal. He not only studies the dead in order to solve criminal cases, but he also does so to try and get to the truth behind this mystery of his that he’s been trying to solve for 200 years. Each episode will focus on a different case, and along the way, viewers will find out more about his past. Forever also stars Alana De La Garza as Dr. Morgan’s new partner, Det. Jo Martinez, and Judd Hirsch as his best friend, Abe.
Prognosis: Based on the below clip, we can already tell who Morgan and Martinez are as characters. The latter is strait-laced and follows the rules according to how things should be done. Dr. Morgan, on the other hand, just goes right ahead and does what he wants. There are a lot of very typical crime shows on TV, so trying to come up with a good hook or premise that makes it not typical is important. In this case, our protagonist is immortal, so Forever will balance a procedural format of having a new case each week with the long-term story of figuring out his past. But will that balance mean this drama has the best of both worlds? So far, I haven’t seen enough to get excited about Forever.
How to Get Away with Murder
Time Slot: Thursdays at 10pm
Premise: How to Get Away with Murder, one of the most intriguing TV show titles ever, stars the ever-fantastic Viola Davis as law professor Annalise Keating. Her students soon find out that they must apply what they’ve learned in her class to real life. Only time will tell how they’ll handle this news. The drama also stars Billy Brown, Alfred Enoch, Jack Falahee Katie Findlay, Aja Naomi King, Matt McGorry, Karla Souza, Charlie Weber and Liza Weil.
Prognosis: Is the title just a clever way to lure viewers in? Maybe, but it doesn’t really matter because How to Get Away with Murder has the goods to back it up. Not only was this show created by the brilliant Shonda Rhimes, the mind behind Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, but it stars Viola Davis, who has been nominated for Oscars, Golden Globes and SAG Awards, and won two Tony Awards. Based on the clip below, Davis plays Keating in a fantastic manner, and you can’t help but want to see more. ABC is creating a Shonda Rhimes night on Thursdays, and Murder will air right after Scandal — not that it needs the help because I’m sure it’ll be able to stand on its own just fine.
Check out more trailers from the upcoming 2014-2015 TV season:
- [Videos] First Look at ABC’s New Fall 2014 Comedies: Selfie, Black-ish, Manhattan Love Story and Cristela>>>
- [Videos] First Look at FOX’s New Fall 2014 Dramas: Gotham, Red Band Society and Gracepoint >>>
- [Videos] First Look at FOX’s New Mid-Season 2015 Dramas: Backstrom, Empire, Hieroglyph and Wayward Pines >>>
- [Videos] First Look at FOX’s New 2014 Fall Shows Utopia and Mulaney >>>
- [Videos] First Look at NBC’s New Fall 2014 Dramas: State of Affairs, Constantine and Mysteries of Laura >>>
- [Videos] First Look at NBC’s New Fall 2014 Comedies: Marry Me, Bad Judge and A to Z >>>
After watching these first look videos, do any of these new dramas catch your attention? And does Shonda Rhimes have another hit on her hands?
(Image and videos courtesy of ABC)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
Jeff Dodge, a graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena.
