Tis the season of TV renewals, cancellations, and debuts. Over the past few days, we've been bringing you news of which of your favorite shows will be continuing on to the next season and which won't - as well as trailers for the new shows set to premiere on Fox in the coming months.
Today, ABC debuted trailers for their new shows set to premiere this season - with the network's new additions ranging anywhere from biblical epics to con artist love stories. Along with the debut trailer for the upcoming Muppets TV Show, ABC revealed the trailers for The Catch, Dr. Ken, The Family, OIL, The Real O'Neals, Uncle Buck, The Catch, Quantico, Wicked City, and Of Kings and Prophets.
THE CATCH
Hailing from producer Shonda Rhimes (How to Get Away with Murder, Scandal), The Catch stars Mireille Enos, Jay Hayden, Alimi Ballard, and more. It follows the story of Alice (Enos), a fraud investigator, who is about to become a victim of fraud from her fiance James - who actually happens to be a con man.
The Catch is created by Hannibal and Hellcats writer/producer Jennifer Schuur.
Now, con artist stories are always tricky to pull off onscreen as the story's ambition usually ends up overtaking its actual reach. With all the different layers of fake and real emotions, motives, and actions as well as the twists and turns any TV show offers - The Catch has a lot going against it. However, with the solid cast attached to the series as well as the producing powers of Rhimes and ABC, The Catch might just be able to pull it off.
OIL
Starring Don Johnson, Chase Crawford, Rebecca Rittenhouse, and Scott Michael Foster - Oil is one of the most ambitious new shows that ABC has lined up. The story focuses on a young couple (Crawford and Rittenhouse) looking to cash in and make a business out of the modern-day oil boom in North Dakota. However, their chase for the American Dream might not be as bright as they envisioned, especially after they clash with a powerful oil Tycoon (Johnson) for the power of the land.
OIL comes from creators Rodes Fishburne and Josh Pate, who will executive produce the series alongside Don Johnson, Tony Krantz, and Drew Comins.
The trailer definitely shows the scale and ambition that ABC is going for with this one, but it'll be interesting to see how the series does on the network and also dealing with budget constraints. The acting looks fine, with Don Johnson always managing to be a standout. It doesn't look like anywhere close to the There Will Be Blood of TV shows, but it has promise. That's for sure.
WICKED CITY
Wicked City is set to be a new crime-anthology series for the network, with each season taking place in a different time period in Los Angeles history - while each season, in turn, focuses on a different crime case. The first season follows a 1982 serial murder case involving sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll, all centered around the Sunset Strip at the time.
Wicked City stars Ed Westwick, Erika Christensen, and Adam Rothenberg.
The trailer definitely gives across the vibe of the times and the cast is solid with TV vets like Christensen and Westwick on board. It doesn't appear to be a crime series nearly as heavy as cable programs like True Detective or The Wire, but it might end up being the closest the network can get. However, with NBC about to premiere another period piece crime thriller set in vintage Los Angeles with Aquarius, it'll be interesting to see which of the two come out on top.
DR. KEN
Dr. Ken is a new sitcom starring Community's Ken Jeong in the lead role as a successful doctor. The series follows Ken as he continues to work on improving his bedside manner, while also trying to manage the changing dynamic of his family as his kids grow up and rebel.
The series also stars Suzy Nakamura, Krista Marie Yu, Dave Foley, Albert Tsai, and more.
Dr. Ken looks exactly like a sitcom centered on Ken Jeong would - which, depending on how you feel about the actor, can either be a good or bad thing. Aside from that, the crazy antics and typical sitcom humor should let Dr. Ken fall easily into ABC's comedy lineup. But the show's success or failure will likely hinge on how audiences take to Jeong's manic and bizarre style of comedy, and it'll be interesting to see what the results end up showing.
THE REAL O'NEALS
Starring Martha Plimpton, Jay R. Ferguson, Hannah Marks, and more - The Real O'Neals is another one of ABC's newest family comedies. This one focuses on a strict Irish Catholic family's adventures, as exposed secrets begin to shake up their entire world. However, instead of the family splitting apart, the O'Neals seem to become closer than ever (even as they try to adjust to their new, less private lives).
The Real O'Neals is created by Casey Johnson and David Windsor.
The premise is one that might cause a bit of an eye-roll, but the trailer actually had some surprisingly honest and heartfelt moments. Many successful shows on TV right now focus on splintered families with dysfunctional relationships, so it's refreshing to see a show that actually uses that dysfunction to bring the central family closer together. This one might end up being a surprise hit among ABC's packed (and diverse) new roster.
THE FAMILY
Speaking of dysfunctional, dark family dramas - ABC also premiered the first trailer for perhaps their darkest addition to their lineup - The Family. Starring Liam James, Joan Allen, Alison Pill, Zach Gilford, Rupert Graves, and more, the series follows the story of a politician (Allen) and her husband's (Graves) son (James) as he returns home after ten years of being presumed dead. What begins as a welcome home soon brings about distrust, anger, and paranoia that will shake the family to its very core.
The Family comes from writer/producer Jenna Bans.
The trailer definitely hints at what looks like ABC's most intense new series. James playing a person that may or may not really be their long-lost son - plus the solid acting dynamic between Joan Allen and Rupert Graves - indicates The Family has the potential to wind up being ABC's most interesting new drama. Whether or not it lives up to that potential, that's another story.
UNCLE BUCK
Based on the beloved John Candy classic, ABC is set to premiere Uncle Buck later this year and stars Mike Epps in the title role - with the supporting cast including Nia Long, James Lesure, Carrie Barrett, and more. The series is a modern take on the classic comedy, and follows the adventures of the sweet, but irresponsible Uncle Buck as he comes home to help take care of his brother's kids (and the bizarre adventures that follow).
Uncle Buck is created by Brian Bradley and Steven Cragg.
Now, there's not a lot of things more difficult than trying to recreate what John Candy could do and Mike Epps looks like he's trying his absolute best to do just that. The main hurdle this series will have to tackle, however, is balancing being an acceptable ABC sitcom, while also keeping the same tone of the original film - and it's unclear whether the series is actually succeeding in that or not.
OF KINGS AND PROPHETS
Of Kings and Prophets stars Ray Winstone, Oliver Rix, James Floyd, and Maisie Richardson-Sellers. The series follows the biblical tale of David (Rix) and King Saul (Winstone), where Saul grows weary towards battle and those around him - as a prophet sent by God to helps to guide David towards his eventual ascension to the throne. The trailer also hints at several of the trademark moments along the way with David fighting the Lion, and the infamous battle between him and Goliath.
Of Kings and Prophets is created by Adam Cooper and Bill Collage.
This story has been told a thousand times at this point, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Winstone looks like he's giving a great performance as Saul, but the budget might end up being the largest concern for this series. If it had landed on a platform like HBO or Showtime, then the series might be able to pull off the grand scale of the story without any problem. However, with it residing on ABC, budgetary constraints are a more pressing issue.
QUANTICO
Quantico stars Priyanka Chopra, Jake McLaughlin, Johanna Braddy, Tate Ellington, and Graham Rogers and tells the complex story of a group of diverse FBI recruits as they arrive at the Quantico FBI Base for training and vetting. All things go wrong though when the largest terrorist attack to hit the US since 9/11 occurs - and one of the recruits is suspected of being behind it all.
Quantico is created by Joshua Safron.
Now, the story is definitely intriguing and the trailer did a fine job establishing the lead cast of recruits. Chopra's voice over work is slightly shaky, though, and this series has the potential to end up being more ambitious than it does actually working. Quantico will have more to balance than perhaps any of the other shows on this lineup, but if it's successful - it also has the potential to be the best of the bunch.
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Which (if any) of these upcoming ABC TV shows are you interested in checking out? Let us know in the comments section.