Die Upfronts sind gelaufen und die US-Sender haben ihr Serienprogramm für den kommenden Herbst vorgestellt. Ich habe mich durch sämtliche Trailer gekämpft und für euch eine erste Vorauswahl der mehr oder weniger interessant klingenden Serien getroffen. Um es gleich vorweg zu nehmen: Komplett überzeugt hat mich leider keine der Neuvorstellungen, doch von den folgenden Kandidaten werde ich mir wohl zumindest die Pilotfolge ansehen. Und los.

(Warnhinweis Nr. 1: Die Serienbeschreibungen klingen fast alle furchtbar. Warnhinweis Nr. 2: Die “Trailer” zeigen fast alle ziemlich viel, wer also vor der Sichtung der Pilotfolge möglichst wenig wissen will, sollte das ganze mit Vorsicht genießen.)

Die neuen Serien bei ABC

Detroit 1-8-7

What does it take to be a detective on America’s most dangerous streets? Get ready to be part of the action when a documentary crew rolls with some of Detroit’s finest, offering an insider’s glimpse behind the curtain of a Homicide Unit. The cameras unearth the crisis and revelation, heartbreak and heroism of these inner city cops—moments of raw exposure when they address us directly, as well as private moments when they forget they’re being filmed.

Klingt ein wenig nach The Office meets The Wire, und eigentlich habe ich für Cop-Serien nicht allzu viel übrig. Die Tatsache, dass Michael Imperioli aka Chris Moltisanti in der Hauptrolle zu sehen ist, verschafft “Detroit 1-8-7″ jedoch einen Platz in dieser Liste.

Happy Endings

Forget who gets to keep the ring—when a couple splits, the real question is, who gets to keep the friends? In this modern comedy, a couple’s break-up will complicate all of their friends’ lives and make everyone question their choices. When life throws you for a curve, hold on tight to the people you love. Every circle of friends has someone who’s the gravitational center. For years, perfect couple Dave and Alex drew their friends in and held them together. Now that they’ve split, does this group have the stuff to stay together? Or do Max, Brad, Jane and Penny have to choose sides? Suddenly every event is a negotiation… like, who gets to go on the annual ski trip? There are a lot of big questions to be answered, but this group has been together so long, somehow, little by little, they’ll figure out how to hold on, even though their center is split up.

Puh, ich weiß gar nicht mehr so genau, wieso ich “Happy Endings” ursprünglich mit in die engere Auswahl genommen habe. Vermutlich, weil der Trailer ein paar nette Lacher hat, Elisha Cuthbert irgendwie auch ganz ok ist und mir Eliza Coupe in Scrubs eigentlich immer gefallen hat.

Mr. Sunshine

Matthew Perry stars as Ben Donovan, the self-involved manager of a second-rate San Diego sports arena who begins to re-evaluate his life on his 40th birthday. Working alongside him is his boss and arena owner, Crystal—attractive, powerful and highly erratic; Alice—the cute, tomboyish marketing director and Ben’s friend with benefits; Alonzo—a former basketball player, handsome and unbelievably happy; Ben’s assistant, Heather—pretty, sweet, but terrifying because she once lit a boyfriend on fire; Crystal’s son, Roman—sweet-faced, clueless and Ben’s newest employee; and a hapless operations crew whom Ben refers to collectively as the “Steves.”

Zu “Mr. Sunshine” reichen zwei Worte: Matthew Perry.

No Ordinary Family

The Powells are about to go from ordinary to extraordinary. After 16 years of marriage, Jim and Stephanie’s relationship lacks the spark it once had, and their family life now consists of balancing work and their two children, leaving little time for family bonding. During a family vacation set up by Jim in an attempt to reconnect, their plane crashes into the Amazon River. But this is where the fun starts for the Powells, as they soon discover that something’s not quite right. Each of them now possesses unique and distinct superpowers. But saving and savoring their family life will be equally important, as they try to find purpose for their new powers and embark on a journey to find out what defines and unifies them. The Powells are a totally relatable family who happen to be a little bit amazing.

Nach der Beschreibung von “No Ordinary Family” erwartete ich ziemlichen Schund, doch der Trailer war überraschend gut. Außerdem gehen Superkräfte fast immer.

» Alle neuen ABC Serien im Überblick

Die neuen Serien bei CBS

S#*! My Dad Says

Based on the #1 Twitter skein and best-selling book, $#*! MY DAD SAYS features the caustic musings of Ed, a retired military doctor whose cranky one-liners have left him, at 72, with three ex-wives and a lot of time alone in his garden. With two boys, Ed has a soft spot for younger son Henry, a likable slacker who’s out of work. Unable to pay his rent, Henry takes up his dad’s offer to move home, agreeing to follow house rules. But Ed has a secret plan— a second chance to be the father he never was— if it doesn’t kill them both first.

“S#*! My Dad Says” ist die erste TV-Serie, die auf einem Twitter-Account (!) basiert. Dazu wurde die Rolle des stänkernden Vaters auch noch mit William Shatner besetzt. Das reicht allemal um auf meinem Zettel zu laden, vielleicht wäre die Serie angesichts der zahlreichen Kraftausdrücke in den Original-Tweets bei einem Kabelsender aber besser aufgehoben.

Hawaii Five-0 (2010)

From the writers behind the blockbuster “Star Trek” (2009) comes a clever, adrenaline-fueled update of one of the most iconic shows in television history. When there’s trouble in paradise, Steve McGarrett returns to the islands and joins fish-out-of-water Danny Williams to launch an elite branch of the Hawaii State Police. In this ultimate adventure series, complete with big action and charming characters, the team hunts down ruthless criminal kingpins, who inevitably hear those three feared words: “Book ’em, Danno.”

Das Original habe ich nie gesehen, allerdings hoffe ich darauf, dass mir Daniel Dae-Kim in der Neuauflage von “Hawaii Five-0″ einen kalten LOST-Entzug erspart.

» Alle neuen CBS Serien im Überblick

Die neuen Serien bei FOX

Raising Hope

RAISING HOPE is a new single-camera family comedy from Emmy Award winner Greg Garcia (“My Name Is Earl”) that follows the Chance family as they find themselves adding an unexpected new member into their already terribly flawed household.
At 23 years old, JIMMY CHANCE (Lucas Neff, “The Beast”) is going nowhere in life. He skims pools for a living, parties every night and still lives at home with his family, including his MAW MAW (guest star Academy Award and Emmy Award winner Cloris Leachman); his mother, VIRGINIA (Martha Plimpton, “How to Make It in America”); his father, BURT (Garret Dillahunt, “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” “Damages”); and his cousin, MIKE (Skyler Stone, “The Mentalist,” “Dollhouse”).
Jimmy’s life takes a drastic turn when a chance romantic encounter with LUCY (guest star Bijou Phillips, “Choke,” “Almost Famous”) goes awry once he discovers she is a wanted felon. Months later, when Jimmy pays a visit to the local prison, he discovers Lucy gave birth to their baby, who he is now charged with raising.

Ohne die Tatsache, dass “My Name Is Earl” Schöpfer Greg Garcia dahinter steckt, hätte es “Raising Hope” wohl nicht in die engere Auswahl geschafft. Der Trailer ist nämlich nicht besonders überzeugend (Martha Plimpton ist jedoch definitiv ein Plus).

Ride-Along

The city of Chicago is a paradox that serves as the setting for RIDE-ALONG, a new drama from Shawn Ryan (“The Shield,” “The Unit”). During a ride-along, a civilian spends a shift in the passenger seat of a squad car, observing the work day of a police officer. But in this series, the audience is the passenger, taking an unpredictable ride through the streets of Chicago and navigating crime and corruption with the most respected – and notorious – cops in the city.

Von “The Shield” höre ich nur Gutes, habe die Serie allerdings wie auch “The Wire” bislang nie gesehen, da Cop-Serien wie gesagt nicht unbedingt my Cup of Tea sind. Vielleicht ändert sich das dank “Ride-Along” demnächst ja.

Running Wilde

From the Emmy Award-winning creator and the star of the critically acclaimed FOX series “Arrested Development” comes RUNNING WILDE, a romantic comedy starring Will Arnett (“Arrested Development,” “30 Rock”) as STEVE WILDE, a filty-rich, immature playboy trying desperately to win (or buy) the heart of his childhood sweetheart, EMMY KADUBIC (Keri Russell, “Waitress,” “Felicity”), the uber-liberal humanitarian who got away – all told through the perspective of a 12-year-old girl.

Ich bin unentschlossen. “Running Wilde” könnte extrem lustig werden, allerdings ebenso gut auch ganz großer Mist.

» Alle neuen FOX Serien im Überblick

Die neuen Serien bei NBC

The Cape

From the visionary team of Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun comes an imaginative adventure about a dad who would do anything to protect his family.
Officer Vince Faraday was a good cop trying to clean up a corrupt city. Framed for murder and left for dead, he suddenly found himself separated from his wife and son and forced into hiding. Now, inspired by his son’s favorite comic book hero, he’s taking the law into his own hands, and playing a deadly game of chess with the powerful kingpin who framed him. With the hope of one day reuniting with his family, The Cape is sending a loud message to all criminals… run.

Cheesy Superhelden-Serie, deren Protagonist unter dem phänomenale Pseudonym “The Cape” Verbrecher zur Strecke bringt? Sign me up!

Chase

From Emmy Award-winning executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer (CSI franchise, The Amazing Race, Pirates of the Caribbean) and Jennifer Johnson (Cold Case) comes a lightning-fast game of cat and mouse that drops you right in the middle of the action.
U.S. Marshals Annie Frost (Kelli Giddish, Past Life) likes to stay one step ahead of the outlaws. As far as this cowboy boot-wearing girl is concerned, they can run, but they can’t hide from her forever. Annie has a sharp mind, a big heart, and an attitude to match. Throw in a unique perspective and personal style, and she is the reason you don’t mess with Texas.
Jump aboard this rollercoaster ride. It’s all about the thrill of the chase.

“Chase” stammt von Jerry Bruckheimer, es erwartet uns also höchstwahrscheinlich Action auf hohem technischen Niveau. Ob darüber hinaus auch Story und Hauptdarstellerin überzeugen können, wird sich zeigen.

The Event

What if there was a cover-up so big that even the President was on a need-to-know basis? And what if some average guy stumbled upon the truth – a secret so powerful it could literally change the course of humanity? You think that guy would stand a chance of survival?
From Nick Wauters (The 4400, Eureka) and Steve Stark (Medium) comes a suspense-filled journey where the answers only lead to bigger questions.
“The Event” is an emotional high-octane conspiracy thriller that follows Sean Walker (Jason Ritter, “The Class”), an everyman who investigates the mysterious disappearance of his fiancee, Leila (Sarah Roemer, “Disturbia”), and unwittingly begins to expose the biggest cover-up in U.S. history.

LOST ist vorbei, 24 ist vorbei, FlashForward hat es nicht über Staffel 1 hinaus geschafft. Doch kein Problem, denn “The Event” hat offenbar von allem ein bisschen. Definitiv einer der interessantesten Neustarts.

Friends With Benefits

From executive producers Brian Grazer (Parenthood, Arrested Development), director David Dobkin (Wedding Crashers) and writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber ((500) Days of Summer) comes a comedy about five single friends, and how far they’ll go for each other.
Dating is difficult. In fact, many times it’s so uncomfortable that you have to look for creative ways to unwind after an unsuccessful night out. Ben, Sara, Hoon, Aaron and Riley are a group of close friends who do just that. After a bad date, they turn to each other for moral (and sometimes physical) support. Hey, what are friends for?
Set in Chicago, this comedy offers an honest look at the complexity of finding “the one,” and the things one must do to survive along the way.

“Friends With Benefits” ist für mich der Geheimtipp für kommenden Herbst. Wieso weiß ich allerdings auch nicht so genau, vermutlich bin ich aber aufgrund des Mitwirkens von Fran Kranz einfach im Fanboy-Modus.

Undercovers

From acclaimed filmmaker J.J. Abrams (Star Trek, Fringe, Lost, Alias) and Executive Producer Josh Reims (Brothers and Sisters) comes a one-hour spy drama that proves marriage is still the world’s most dangerous partnership.
To put the spark back in their marriage, some couples take a tropical vacation. Not Steven and Samantha. They rejoin the CIA. Now they’re discovering things about each other they never knew. Like which lock-picking technique each prefers, and who killed who, and how well they work together in a hostile environment.
With their day jobs and lives in the balance, date night is about to get a lot more exciting.

“Undercovers” ist irgendwie “Hart aber herzlich” mir Afro-Amerikanischen Hauptdarstellern but they had me at J.J. Abrams…

» Alle neuen NBC Serien im Überblick

Die neuen Serien bei The CW

When she was a deeply troubled teenager, Nikita was rescued from death row by a secret U.S. agency known only as Division, who faked her execution and told her she was being given a second chance to start a new life and serve her country. What they didn’t tell her was that she was being trained as a spy and assassin. Ultimately, Nikita was betrayed and her dreams shattered by the only people she thought she could trust. Now, after three years in hiding, Nikita is seeking retribution and making it clear to her former bosses that she will stop at nothing to expose and destroy their covert operation. For the time being, however, Division continues to recruit and train other young people, erasing all evidence of their former lives and turning them into cold and efficient killers. One of these new recruits, Alex, is just beginning to understand what lies ahead for her and why the legendary Nikita made the desperate decision to run.

Erstaunlicherweise kommt eine der vielversprechendsten Serien vom Teenie-Sender The CW. Maggie Q als “Nikita”, die nachdem sie verraten wurde abtrünnig wird und von nun an gegen ihre ehemaligen Auftraggeber kämpft? Das könnte glatt der legitime Nachfolger von “Alias” werden (zumal die Prämisse fast identisch ist).