We all crave fall for a smattering of reasons. Whether it’s the return of our beloved pumpkin spice lattes, the opportunity to caption our knit-focused Instagram posts under the “#sweaterweather” hashtag or my personal favorite: the birth and return of great television.
After a long summer of mediocre TV, I was anxious to begin filling up my DVR with both old and new favorites. And while I waited patiently, memorizing premiere dates and staying current on the latest trailers, I became confident that the fall 2014 pilot lineup would not disappoint.
While a couple new series have already found their way into my heart, there have been a few misses. I am here to spare you of such disappointments, as well as to bless your life with the gift of great programming.
**Red Band Society (8:00 p.m. Central on FOX)**
This dramedy, set in a Los Angeles hospital, is centered around the disease-stricken lives of the patients in the pediatric ward. The six teenagers, including a comatose narrator, form a tight-knit group that would not have been necessarily formed outside of the hospital walls.
With each teen as seemingly different as the diseases plaguing their minds and bodies, the navigation through teenage life hardly ever seems dull. Between the outstanding drama of their daily lives and the perfect element of comic relief, the show oozes charm and sentiment.
Beyond the main cast, I found myself incredibly intrigued by one individual on the nursing staff. With Octavia Spencer playing the role of Nurse Jackson (or “Scary Bitch” as her coffee cup reads), I am confident there is going to be another outstanding element to develop within the story. Spencer’s highly-regarded reputation and acting chops have me even more anxious for the rest of the season to unfold.
**How to Get Away With Murder (9:00 p.m. Central on ABC)**
This daring drama is centered on the lives of a powerful defense attorney, Professor Keating (Viola Davis), along with a few of her particularly ambitious new law students. The premiere episode jumps back and forth between present day and the beginning of Keating’s class, which she has titled “How to Get Away With Murder.” In a series of flash-forwards, we get a glimpse of what appears to be both a murder and cover up, with each of those eager, young law students at the center of the scheme.
With perfectly presented array of twists and mystery, the show keeps the audience highly intrigued in such an intelligent way. The episode featured a stunning ending that personally left me itching for the next one to air. With hitmaking producer Shonda Rhimes behind the project and the Oscar-nominated Davis at the center, I’m confident the show is certainly going to become something of a phenomenon.
**Selfie (7:00 p.m. Central on ABC)**
With the title “Selfie,” it’s hardly a surprise that this social media-focused comedy is quite unworthy of your DVR space. The newbie show’s lead character, Eliza, is an over-the-top and often times unbearable Instagram addict. This pharmaceutical rep is supposedly launched into unrealistic Insta-fame, going on to pride herself more in her number of likes versus her number of friends.
After a horrifying public humiliation, Eliza begins to realize that she should possibly change her ways. A series of clichéd antics follow as Eliza enlists a marketing guru at her company to transform her, performing a “make-under” to both her physical appearance and her personality.
Although there were some occasional “LOL” moments within the 30-minute ABC comedy, the script was far too over-the-top and the presentation a bit too rehearsed to capture my attention.
While the ABC comedy “Selfie” may have turned out as rough as our middle school self-portraits, both “How to Get Away With Murder” and “The Red Band Society” certainly hit high notes among this pilot season.