I Was So Wrong

I love the new Fall TV season like I love pumpkin, deep-fried things in burritos, and Instagram. But I've been really underwhelmed by this seasons offerings. Literally the only thing I was looking forward to seeing was Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Some of the shows looked SO, SO bad. Like, did you see the trailer for Sleepy Hollow?

I mean, how many headless puns can you make in four minutes? And who on earth was asking for a weird re-imagining of Sleepy Hollow with funny cops?

But then I heard buzz that it was actually good. And I am totally powerless in the face of buzz. If something is supposed to be good and I am not watching it makes me crazy. So I decided to give it a go on Hulu. 

And it was awesome...

Did you watch? It was fantastic. Here's the premise: (and if you were a history major, please take your dumb pills before reading the next few sentences.) Ichabod Crane, and English man living in colonial America, has decided he sides with the Americans during the revolutionary war. He is tasked by General George Washington to kill a man with a brand on his hand, which he does by chopping of his head (no spoilers - this all happens in the first 3 minutes.) He is also injured in the fight and wakes up more than 200 years in the future. And the man with the brand on his hand is there too, but he doesn't have a head. Pretty simple. But then the mythology starts to go crazy. There are witches, secret covens, demons from another realm and the Apocalypse. My friend Kacy describes it as "re-imagined Ichabod Crane in present day participating in supernatural cop-buddy X-Files procedural that foretells of the apocalypse National Treasure-style and takes place kind of on a Hell Mouth."

Tom Mison, who you've probably never heard of unless you are a Brit, plays Ichabod Crane and is funny with the an appropriately level of British snark, but is also appropriately heroic enough to be a leading man. And Nicole Beharie plays Abby Mills, a police officer who believes Ichabod's story of a 200 year nap, immortal headless men, and conspiracies. She's got personality and is interesting without being too plucky or sassy. The pilot is insane in the best way. At one point, the Headless Horseman is shooting a sawed-off shotgun at two police officers. There are more twists and turns in the pilot than...something incredibly twisty and turny. A rigatoni noodle? Lombard Street? I don't know...

We shall see. Next week will tell us if it either going to be a fun, slightly campy version of Lost, with a rich mythology and a "must see TV feel." Or it could become totally ridiculous and unwatchable. Did you watch? What did you think? I'm praying for a keeper. My fall TV schedule is looking pretty bare, so I need a hit here. 

My history with TV and the shows I'll be watching this Fall

I have had a complex relationship with television over the years. 

When I was a growing up in the 70s and 80s there were a handful of shows I watched after school, with my family, or with friends. There are too many to list but the ones that come rushing to the forefront of memory for me are: Bonanza, Wild Wild West, Mork and Mindy, Too Close for Comfort, GI Joe, Transformers, Days of Our Lives, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, Three's Company, Doctor Who, The A-Team, Knight Rider, Saturday Night Live, Sanford and Son, Taxi, MASH, Cheers, Carol Burnett Show, and more.

The point I should make here is that I never watched these shows loyally. Like every week without a miss. The way TV worked in our house was that when we had time to turn on the TV and watch as a family, we watched what was on. The good thing about this was that I watched a lot of different shows. We were eclectic. The drawback was that if I really liked a show, there was no guaranteed I'd know when it was on, remember when it was on, or watch it when it was on.

Then the 90s came. I was in my 20s, working full-time, in school part-time, and single. I was never home. The only time I watched anything regularly was if a girl I was dating watched anything regularly. The exception was X-Files, SNL, and The Simpsons. I watched the crap out of those shows. But, still, not every single week without fail.

The point is that the idea of being a loyal viewer of certain shows, being a die-hard fan, never really hit me until about 2002. I moved in with a couple of dudes, my friends Ben and Eric, and learned that people still devoted time and attention to TV. They watched shows in groups. Every week. This was, at first, something I did because it was social and I needed to be social. But then something happened.

I fell in love. I fell for Sidney Bristow, Jack Bauer, Detectives Mackey, Stabler, and Benson. Fell for Buffy, Spike, Angel, Fred. The Fischers. The Cohens. They held my heart in their little make believe hands.

Ever since then, I've followed shows. I've paid for a DVR before paying for clothes. I've checked out what's coming and marked the calendar. I've cast away dumb shows. I've been betrayed by the ratings machine. Like Josh, I take it seriously now. Like Chris, I know what I love and hate. Like Patrick, I've binge watched. Like Ken, I like the smart stuff. I know it's just TV but I also know that it's fine to love it.

That's more history than you wanted. But this Fall begins a new ritual. Below, I've picked new shows I'll champion, or at least test, until they get canceled or until I realize they aren't very good. (You can see the list of shows I already watch here. I don't watch reality TV.)*

Could be good

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. — You had me at Marvel's.

The Tomorrow People — Sci-fi with a cool concept.

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland — Let's hope the acting starts out better than the original.

Reign — My list is CW heavy, right? They're either getting better or I'm a teenage girl.

Almost Human — JJ Abrams produces and it's got writers from Fringe.

About a Boy — Can it translate to the US and TV?

Believe — The creative team behind this is legit.

Crisis — It's got one half of the X-Files duo.

Us & Them — I like that Ritter guy.

Giving these a test run

Dracula — I'm a sucker for a good vampire story. 

Mom — I think Anna Farris is brilliant at comedy.

Sleepy Hollow — Love the story, unsure about the concept.

The Blacklist — As overdone as this genre is, it seems intruguing.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine — Could be great if the cast gets to play to their strengths.

Super Fun Night — Could be great if the cast gets to play to their strengths.

AHS: Coven — This show's other two "mini-series" brought me to the brink. It's on notice.

The Crazy Ones — I'm rooting for Buffy.

Lucky 7 — Interesting concept around the sharing of lottery winnings.

The Originals — Do I have to have seen Vampire Diaries to get it?

Mind Games — Zahn. I like Zahn.

Murder Police — I have a soft spot for animated comedy.

Resurrection — Huh. Ghosties.

The 100 — Mmmmmmaybe?

How about you?

*As of this writing, I have no idea if all of these shows will even premiere.