ABC Fall 2016 Preview: See trailers for ‘Conviction’ (with Hayley Atwell) ‘Designated Survivor,’ ‘Notorious,’ more
Today, ABC is having its upfront presentation, and to go along with that, we’re thrilled to be bringing you full looks at some of the upcoming shows. For the fall, we’ve got several different dramas and two comedies, and of course there’s going to be a little bit more coming up at midseason. We’ll have a separate article on that coming in due time.
“Conviction” – “Lawyer and former First Daughter Hayes Morrison (Hayley Atwell, “Marvel’s Agent Carter”) is about to accept a job offered from her sexy nemesis, NY District Attorney Wayne Wallis, to avoid jail time for cocaine possession and avoid hurting her mother’s Senate campaign. Working with his team at the new Conviction Integrity Unit will let her use her brilliant mind to turn over cases, where there is credible suspicion of wrongful conviction, and give her a chance to turn things around with her high-powered political family.”
It’s nice to see Atwell still on ABC (she’s fantastic!), but this trailer is a little bit wonky since Hayes’ persona doesn’t fully match her transformation into someone who can save people from wrong convictions. It’s possible that her journey really cannot be presented well in just a short period of time.
“Designated Survivor” – “Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actor Kiefer Sutherland (“24”) returns to primetime in a conspiracy thriller as Tom Kirkman, a lower-level cabinet member who unexpectedly becomes president after a devastating attack on Washington. He will struggle to prevent the country and his own family from falling into chaos, as he is thrust into one of the most difficult presidencies in history.”
The trailer’s solid, though we feel like there will of course be a challenge in trying to figure out how to stand out in the sea of other political shows that are also out there on the schedule at the moment. It’s nice to see Kiefer back on network TV, and he’s got a great supporting cast here in Kal Penn and Maggie Q.
“Notorious” – ““Notorious” is inspired by the true-life stories of famed criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos and cable news producer Wendy Walker, who serve as executive producers. The series is a provocative look at the unique, sexy and dangerous interplay of criminal law and the media. Josh Berman (“Blacklist,” “Bones,” “CSI”) is writer and executive producer, and Allie Hagan (“Suri’s Burn Book”) is writer and co-executive producer.”
We hate the narrator in the trailer; beyond that, this looks like a fun addition to the network schedule. Also, we got another great TV alum in Piper Perabo (“Covert Affairs”) leading the way on this series.
“American Housewife” – “Katie Otto (Katy Mixon, “Mike and Molly”), a confident, unapologetic wife and mother of three, raises her flawed family in the wealthy town of Westport, Connecticut, filled with “perfect” mommies and their “perfect” offspring.”
This show was originally titled “The Second Fattest Housewife in Westport,” and while that may not be politically correct, it had a catch to it. The reality is neither title is that great, and we worry about this show getting lost in ABC’s sea of family comedies.
“Speechless” – “Maya DiMeo (Minnie Driver) is a mother who is willing to do anything for her family. Her son, JJ (Michah Fowler) has cerebral palsy and she will fight for justice in order to give him what he deserves. From the creators of Fresh Off The Boat, comes Speechless on ABC. ”
This story has a certain sweetness and determination to it that may make it stand out even in ways “American Housewife” does not. We should note that John Ross Bowie (Barry from “The Big Bang Theory”) is also one of the stars.