September 10, 2015

Fall TV Premieres: CBS

Fall TV premiere season is upon us! And while in the cable TV world, seasons have become more fluid and half-seasons can be separated by months, the calendar still seems to hold true in the broadcast network world. So what am I looking forward to this fall? There are some great returning shows as well as some new ones that look promising. In this and some upcoming posts, I'll clue you in on one of each from a few of the networks I tune to with my rabbit ear antenna. First up: CBS

Returning Show: Survivor 


The cast of Survivor: Second Chance
Source: cbs.com
Anyone who's visited Rabbit Ear Reviews before knows that I am a fan of one and only one reality TV show: Survivor. And this season - I think - is shaping up to be its best yet! Season 31 is titled "Second Chance," and each cast member is a returning player who has only attempted the game once before. PLUS, the players this season were voted in by fans like yours truly.

If we're lucky, that means these players know the game, and will play it strategically. Smart players make the game interesting to watch. This way, instead of each castaway voting to eliminate whoever ticked them off that day, we get to watch shrewd people make calculated decisions with an endgame in mind. And if we're really lucky, we as the fans have picked not only real game players, but folks who won't incite a lot of useless drama. Then there's the added piece that some of these players have played the game together before. Will they stick together? Hold a grudge? I can't wait to find out!

Some of the castaways from recent seasons are my favorites to win. Probably because their gameplay is fresh in my mind, but also because I suspect the games nuances are fresh in theirs. Two of the "Brains" from Season 28 are favorites of mine. Spencer, because he reminds me of one of my favorite Survivor winners, and Tasha, because she definitely wasn't given a fair shake at the game her first time around. And then there's Shirin, from Season 30, who had the most amazing character arc - unlike anything you'd expect to see on any reality show, let alone Survivor. Kelly Wigglesworth, from all the way back in Season 1 (!!) is a wild card. Then there's good ol' Stephen Fishbach, arguably more of a student of the game than any of the rest, and a guy who may have won, had his opposition been less likable.

Survivor premieres Wednesday, September 23 at 8 PM.

New Show: Supergirl


I haven't really gotten into a superhero show since the days of Smallville. And before that, Lois and Clark. So it's fair to say that there's really only one superhero for me, and that's Superman. But I'm thinking his cousin will make for a great show, too.


I found this "first look" preview to be a little too expository, but keeping in mind that CBS is not the usual venue for the comic book adaptation, it's a fair guess that the network's viewers aren't the typical Comic-Con set either. So I guess it makes sense that the preview for this new show be filled with explanations re: Krytonian history and mythology. The inclusion of staple characters Jimmy Olsen and Cat Grant makes for an interesting twist on the old tale of the Man of Steel.

I harbor some concerns that this show doesn't have the star power to keep it alive past one season. Sure, you've got Calista Flockhart,  but she hasn't been back in a big way since Ally McBeal. And Jeremy Jordan is known mostly to the musical theater loving set and fans of Smash. But, then again, CBS seems a little less predictable when it comes to cancellations, so maybe they've found something great here that another network couldn't have made work. From the preview video, they seem to have found something great in Melissa Benoist, who apparently was in the cast of Glee after I stopped watching.

It may not have star power, but it has girl power, and if the show plays its cards right, it could make some interesting statements about culture, gender stereotypes, and heroes. I'm hopeful.

Supergirl premieres Monday, October 26 at 8:30 PM

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