FOX Fall Preview Reviews

A look at some of trailers of shows that will be seen on FOX this fall. A couple quick thoughts...

Gotham:



Oh good, it's like Cruel Intentions with soon-to-be superheroes! Don't you just see all these characters in the lunchroom moping around? And really, there a big desire out there for a Commissioner Gordon origin story? And why do we need to jam him into the Batman origin story? I realize FOX wants to out comic ABC/Disney but I feel there are other ways to go about it. Also, I'm already dreading the season 3 season finale when Donal Logue (obviously the only interesting character in this show) to be killed off by teen Joker.

Wayward Pines:



Lots of academy award nominees up in this joint. Kinda makes you wonder what they need to do to get over the hump and get that Oscar. Also, does this seemingly go from Pushing Daisies to Lost in about 3 seconds in the trailer? That frightens me just a little. I'll definitely start watching, but I don't want it to be a a burrito of hokie wrapped around a filling of dread.

Empire:



Did Terrence Howard invest in bad real estate? Pyramid scheme? Failed novelty restaurant chain based on Hustle and Flow (Hustle and Chow)? Whatever the reason, looks like he's hedging his bets and starring in 2 FOX shows, to keep the income steady. Also stereotypes ahoy here, no?

Backstrom:



Hey, does anyone remember that FOX show with Greg Kinnear where he played a lawyer that was a drunk and rarely shaved and liked hookers and drugs and had questionable ethics, but when it came right down to it he was a damn good lawyer? You know, it was on like 2 weeks ago? And then it got canceled. Well, here's a show totally nothing like that because Rainn Wilson is a cop. Seriously he even looks like Kinnear in this.

Gracepoint:



Apparently FOX only watched the first 3 episodes of AMC's The Killing, and then just assumed it continued to be great, and decided to find their own European murder mystery show to remake. Hopefully this one too will try to tie in terrorism, American Indian backed casinos and telling the audience you'll find out who the killer is and then not tell us.

Hieroglyph:



Egyptian vampires. What could possibly go wrong with this show. I give it about 6 weeks (of course I was wrong about Sleepy Hollow last year, but I think Sleepy Hollow at least realizes it can't take itself seriously. This one...?

Mulaney:



Hmmmm...This show started at NBC last year, and wasn't picked up, and then FOX came around and gave it a second chance. And...I can kind of see why it wasn't picked up before. Now, hopefully it will do well and FOX can help shepherd it, but from the trailer it looks like Mulaney is a better writer than performer. And i'm really not sure about the supporting cast around him either. The tone of the show feels off, and while Martin Short and Elliot Gould obviously lend a bunch of comedic gravitas to the production, we already have a pants bit with Short, which doesn't bode well for the rest of the show. I mean, Short was doing pants bits in the 80s! I want this to do well, so I hope I'm wrong, but the preview didn't wow me.

Utopia:



A reality show about starting a new civilization? Based on a Dutch show? I don't know if I see this working. It feels as though reality television has been pushed to the basic cable channels (Bravo, A&E, NatGeo, etc.) while the bigger networks attempt to reclaim scripted entertainment.

Last Man on Earth



This looks terrible. I like Will Forte, but I'm not sure this is the right vehicle for him. Also, when do you think we find out he's not the last person on Earth? End of the first episode? Second episode?