The Irrational TV show

Season preview: Against the odds, dramas debut

.(This has been updated.)
Each new TV season seems to stir optimism.
It’s sort of like each first date or job interview, only without the breath-freshener.
We expect the best; each season could bring the next “Seinfeld or “ER” or “West Wing.” Even when we get the next “Dweebs” or “Hello, Larry” or “My Mother the Car,” we’re hopeful.
But what about the season that starts this month, amid writers’ and actors’ strikes? The streaming and premium-cable networks, working far in advance, are still OK, but what does regular TV have to offer?
A little. There are shows (including “The Irrational,” shown here) that started filming before the strikes …. And ones that have already aired overseas …. And reality and game shows – lots of them.
Read more…

NBC turns cautious: three new shows, lots of back-ups

In the not-so-distant past, every autumn brought a deluge of new network TV shows, each heralded as bigger and better.
Don’t expect that now: NBC has announced a line-up with only three new shows (including “Found,” shown here); that comes after CBS set one with only two.
That means NBC viewers won’t face much separation pain. Three comedies – “American Auto,” “Young Rock” and “Grand Crew” – have indefinite futures. Two dramas (“New Amsterdam” and “This Is Us”) have ended runs of five and six years; another (“The Blacklist”) has a 10th and final season ending this summer. Other shows– even “Lopez vs. Lopez,” blasted by critics – will be back sometime. Read more…