ABC announced their 2013-2014 television schedule today, and with it came some surprises, including ditching the Dancing with the Stars results shows, filling up Tuesdays entirely with new shows and splitting up the season in two uninterrupted batches in the fall and late spring.
ABC’s 2013-2014 Schedule: No DWTS Results, OUAT Spin-Off on Thursday >>>
Out of the eight new shows the network is debuting this fall, four are dramas: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Lucky 7, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland and Betrayal. In conjunction with their upfront presentation today, ABC has released trailers for all four shows:
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Time Slot: Tuesdays at 8pm
Premise: One of the most-highly anticipated new fall shows, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. centers around Agent Phil Coulson, coming back after his apparent death in The Avengers, as he gathers a group of agents from the spy/law-enforcement organization S.H.I.E.L.D. (which stands for Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division) to investigate and protect against the forces of evil.
Prognosis: Whether you’ve seen The Avengers, Iron Man or any of the other movies in the franchise or not, this trailer is a fantastic introduction to the Marvel world. ABC is betting on S.H.I.E.L.D. becoming a hit for the network, considering it already has a devoted built-in audience. This is definitely one to check out in the fall.
Watch Trailers for ABC’s New Mid-Season Shows >>>
Lucky 7
Time Slot: Tuesdays at 10pm
Premise: Over the course of several months, seven gas station employees have been pooling their money together to buy lottery tickets. They win the big jackpot, which could help solve all of their problems.
Prognosis: Even though it’s considered a drama, the trailer presents Lucky 7 as more of a light-hearted show. Considering it’ll be airing after two comedies (The Goldbergs and Trophy Wife), that could help its chances of success. But beyond the pilot, it’s hard to tell where the storylines will go or what kind of a show it wants to be. I’m sure it’ll focus on the benefits and downsides to winning all that money, but it’s hard to gauge its chances of connecting with viewers.
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland Photos: First Look at the Cast and Pilot >>>
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland
Time Slot: Thursdays at 8pm
Premise: This spin-off of the successful fantasy drama Once Upon a Time follows Alice along on her adventures in Wonderland.
Prognosis: For all you OUAT fans, get ready because you’ll be able to now watch two hours of fantasy every week. Once Upon a Time is a successful show for ABC, but has dipped in the ratings in season 2. Will fans want to stick around for another helping later in the week or are they content with the original? As a huge fan myself, I’ll definitely be checking it out. And with such characters as Alice, the Knave of Hearts, Cyrus, the White Rabbit and the Queen of Hearts, Wonderland is sure to be every fantasy lover’s dream.
Watch Trailers for ABC’s New Fall Comedies >>>
Betrayal
Time Slot: Sundays at 10pm
Premise: Photographer Sara Hadley and attorney Jack McAllister, both married to other people, begin having an affair with each other. But things soon turn sour when they end up on opposite ends of a murder investigation.
Prognosis: ABC hasn’t had the best of luck lately trying to fill the 10pm timeslot on Sundays. Betrayal sounds like it’ll be a good fit paired with Revenge. It doesn’t seem to me like it has a strong enough hook in the way that Revenge does. But you never know, it just might work.
After watching these trailers, are any of ABC’s new fall dramas catching your attention? Since S.H.I.E.L.D. and OUaT already have build-in audiences, do you think Lucky 7 or Betrayal stand a chance of succeeding?
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(Image 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.
