Most-Anticipated Fall TV Pilots: From Comics Galore to Crime-Thriller Mayhem!

Hooray, another post about TV! With the fall TV season rolling around quickly, many new shows are soon to arrive on a small screen near you. Some look good, some look horrendous, and some just look out of this world, but nonetheless, here are my most-anticipated television pilots coming this fall:

 

Gotham- Probably my most-anticipated show of the fall season, Gotham succeeds at doing something I thought would never happen: Bringing the famous comic crime-fighter Batman to the small screen...sort of. Telling the story of Batman's sort-of partner-in-crime James Gordon, Gotham brings the famous characters of DC Comics to TV, acting as a prequel to the rise of our Caped Crusader in black. With a young Bruce Wayne (aka Batsy), a rather non-mustachioed (but still awesome) Gordon, and hopefully some bad-ass criminals (who eventually become some of Batman's worst enemies), Gotham has the potential to be one of the better comic-to-TV shows out there (hopefully better than Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D...which I did actually like).   

Stalker- As a fan of popular thriller shows like The Following and Hannibal, along with some crime shows like Criminal Minds, I had an instant feeling that I'd enjoy this show also. Telling the tale of two LAPD detectives who investigate stalking incidents in the area, this show looked both thrilling and creepy. With such an interesting basis (one that has been explored before, but not in this much detail), Stalker may be able to hold my interest, similar to how The Following and the short-lived Hostages did (which also starred Stalker star Dylan McDermott), with its creepy cases and hopeful character development.  Starred Stalker star...well isn't that some crazy alliteration? Try saying that three times fast.

The Flash- Following the great success of the fellow CW comic series Arrow, which centered on the emerald archer Green Arrow, October's The Flash brings yet another famous DC Comics superhero to the small screen...and if you blink you just might miss him. That's right, it's the speedy scientist Barry Allen aka The Flash. After guest-starring on Arrow a number of times, Barry Allen managed to become a fan-favorite, eventually earning him his own shot in the spotlight. With promises of many Arrow-Flash crossovers, and the introduction of even more comic characters from Firestorm to Captain Cold (Yeah, I don't know them either), The Flash may have the power (and the speed) to keep up a good audience like its fellow CW hit did with two seasons already. 

 

Scorpion- From the director of Fast and Furious comes another criminal intelligence show from CBS, similar to the short-lived show Intelligence, this time focusing on real-life genius hacker Walter O'Brien and his team of fellow geniuses. As they try to solve the world's toughest and most dangerous problems out there, using some of best hacker techniques and tools, O'Brien and his team of intelligent misfits may just be enough to hold my interest like Intelligence did, with thrilling technology-filled adventures and an array of cool high tech toys used to get inside the minds of the biggest names in intelligence, and also the minds of its viewers with this interesting new show. And also Smash's Katharine McPhee is there, so....you know I'll be watching! 

How to Get Away With Murder- From the creator of two ABC hits Grey's Anatomy and Scandal, this new legal drama may not be my first choice for a new show to watch...but throw in a murder mystery, and I'm there! Centering around a law professor at a prestigious Philadelphia university, played by the talented Viola Davis, who eventually gets herself and her students entwined in a murder investigation, How to Get Away With Murder looks like it could have the potential of being another ABC hit, with slowly but scarcely developing points of intrigue that may hold on to an even bigger audience than both Scandal and Grey's Anatomy. 

 

Constantine- Based on yet another DC Comics character, this one a bit more darker (even for Batman), Constantine focuses on the Hellblazer protagonist John Constantine, a dark magician/exorcist who must save humanity from a rising supernatural threat, while also fighting his own sins from the past. Being a fan of last fall's Sleepy Hollow and having watched an episode or two of the hit CW show Supernatural, I've lately become a fan of the whole paranormal/supernatural/demons-are-among-us genre that strives on producing many (lame) horror films on the big screen, but not many shows on the small screen. Hopefully, with its supernatural feel and humorously haunting protagonist, Constantine can keep me interested on a Friday night...only until Hannibal returns, of course. 

 

Utopia- Last, but not least (maybe), is a new reality show that also peaked my interest. Reminding me quickly of the survival-of-the-fittest show Siberia (which was highly entertaining, yet completely stupid), Utopia puts 15 people into an isolated, undeveloped location, and then hands them the rule-book. Acting as a "social experiment", the show lets its contestants make their own rules in order to make the perfect dream society. And with 15 different opposing views stuck in one area with no food, no family, and probably some homemade weapons made from trees...what could go wrong? If this show ends up being anything like Siberia or even Survivor, I may just stay and watch just to see what chaos may rein from this new show of survival.   

And here are some "Honorable Mentions" to the shows that peaked my interest, but may not live long enough to see the light...or at least the shine of a future Emmy award:

The Whispers- Just by the name, this show had my intrigued, dying to what the hell it was about. When I heard it was about an alien invasion taking on the children of the world as pawns in their game, I was even more intrigued. Then I saw the trailer. With an odd cast of characters, and an even odder concept than I imagined, this show still held some of my interest, but not as much as some of the better shows to come this fall. As for the science fiction genre this fall, I may just stick to Halle Berry's weird alien-pregnancy mystery concept rather than this one. 

Forever- Starring Mister Fantastic himself, Ioan Gruffudd, as Dr. Henry Morgan, Forever tells the story of New York's star medical examiner, a man who studies the dead as both a profession and a necessity. Suddenly realizing that he can't die, Dr. Morgan must solve his own mystery of why he's immortal and how it all happened, while also struggling to keep his secret a secret. While this show does have an interesting concept, one that I've not yet seen before on television, it may not be able to hold strong for that long when the writers run low on ideas for an immortal cop...or medical examiner. Nonetheless, I'll probably check this one out to see how good (or not good) it really is. 

American Crime- Dwelling on topics of race, class, and gender in the world of crime and politics, this new crime drama digs deep into American stereotypes to fuel its tale of a racially charged murder and the trial that follows. While this murder-strung tale may sound more or less intriguing, I'm not sure where the show plans to go if it plans to run a long season. It may end up working as a miniseries, but unless it holds the suspense and keeps the racial slurs to a minimum, this show may not live to see another season. 

  

Black-ish- Speaking of racial slurs, this show is probably one of the few offensive shows a network can put on primetime. And by offensive, I of course mean comically racist, like most sitcoms out there are today. Focusing on a African-American family living in the suburbs, comic Anthony Anderson leads the cast as a father struggling to get his family back into their black heritage, after they become enveloped in the culture of the American suburbia. While some might not find the show that offensive, some probably will, making the show an easy target for low ratings. Also it stars Anthony Anderson, who was on Guys With Kids...and that show turned out great...Either way, I might check out this show since it's the only new comedy I'm really looking forward to this fall. 

Well, that concludes yet another one of my 'most-anticipated' lists. If you enjoyed that list, be sure to follow my blog and come back soon for more reviews, discussions, and trailers. And share the blog to your friends if they enjoy that stuff too! Next up should be either the Dawn of the Planet of the Apes review or something else like that. 

P.S. Be sure to check back next year for my much-more-anticipated 2015 TV Shows, including even more comic adaptations: 

Marvel plans to bring characters like Agent Carter, Daredevil, and Luke Cage to the small screen!