Which of These New Fall TV Shows Will Fail First?
It will happen. At some point this fall, one of the broadcast networks will be the first to pull the plug on one of its once-promising but now ratings-challenged new shows.
But predicting which show will be the first to go is tough. As we've seen in the past, the first-canceled program isn't necessarily the worst show of the fall—on occasion, it is even one of the best. But to help you get a feel for the prospects of this year's newcomers, we have identified some of the pros and cons of each of the 20 new broadcast series debuting this month and next.
Pros: This drama has potential to be that mythical four-quadrant hit (appealing to males and females, young and old) with its story of the first female Major League Baseball player. And co-creator Dan Fogelman managed to get his prior series Galavant and The Neighbors renewed despite small audiences. Cooperation with MLB adds to the realism (actual teams, uniforms, and stadiums are used), and buzz is already building for star Kylie Bunbury. The series is virtually guaranteed to last at least until the World Series (in early November), when Fox will have the chance to promote Pitch to baseball fans during every inning break.
Cons: Early reviews are fairly good, but probably not quite as great as Fox would like. And sports fans may prefer to spend their Thursday nights watching real athletes (aka Thursday Night Football) rather than fictional ones.