TV Talk: Why Watch That? That’s the Question.
Shows Mentioned:
A Million Little Things (ABC)
It has been said that friendship isn’t one big thing, it’s a million little things. That is certainly true for a group of friends from Boston who bonded under unexpected circumstances. Some have achieved success, others are struggling in their careers and relationships, but all of them feel stuck in life. After one of them dies unexpectedly, it’s just the wake-up call the others need to finally start living. Along the way, they discover that friends may be the one thing that can save them from themselves.
New Amsterdam (NBC)
Dr. Max Goodwin is brilliant, charming — and the new medical director at America’s oldest public hospital. While he’s set on tearing down the bureaucracy to provide exceptional care, the doctors and staff are not so sure. They’ve heard this before, and no one else has delivered on those promises. Not taking no for an answer, Max disrupts the status quo and proves he will stop at nothing to breathe new life into this understaffed, underfunded and underappreciated hospital — the only one in the world capable of treating Ebola patients, prisoners from Rikers Island and the president of the United States all under one roof — and return it to the glory that put it on the map. Inspired by Bellevue in New York City.
The Good Doctor (ABC)
Shaun Murphy, a young autistic surgeon who has savant syndrome, relocates from a quiet country life to join the surgical unit at the prestigious San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital — a move strongly supported by his mentor, Dr. Aaron Glassman. Having survived a troubled childhood, Shaun is alone in the world and unable to personally connect with those around him, but he finds his niche using his extraordinary medical skill and intuition to save lives and challenge the skepticism of his colleagues.
Blindspot (NBC)
When a beautiful woman (Jaimie Alexander) with no memory of who she is or how she got there is discovered naked in New York’s Times Square, the conspicuous etching of FBI Agent Kurt Weller’s (Sullivan Stapleton) name across her back quickly makes it obvious to whom the case should be assigned. An international plot blows up as Agent Weller and his team discover that each intricate tattoo on Jane Doe’s body is a crime to solve, creating a map that leads ever closer to the truth about her identity and mysteries yet to be revealed.
The Rookie (ABC)
Starting over isn’t easy, especially for small-town guy John Nolan, who, after a life-altering incident, is pursuing his dream of becoming an LAPD officer. As the force’s oldest rookie, he’s met with skepticism from some higher-ups who see him as just a walking midlife crisis. If he can’t keep up with the young cops and the criminals, he’ll be risking lives — including his own — but if he can use his life experience, determination and sense of humor to give him an edge, he may just become successful in this new chapter of his life.
The Flash (CW)
At 11, Barry Allen’s life changed completely when his mother died in a freak accident and his innocent father was convicted of her murder. Orphaned Barry later becomes Detective Joe West. Now a crime-scene investigator, his dedication to learn the truth about his mother’s death drives him to follow up on every new scientific advancement and urban legend. When his latest obsession – a particle accelerator heralded as a world-changing invention – causes an explosion, it creates a freak storm and Barry is struck by lightning. He awakes from a coma nine months later with the power of superspeed. When he learns that others who have gained powers use them for evil, he dedicates himself to protecting the innocent, while still trying to solve the older mystery.
Black Lightning (CW)
CW and Greg Berlanti expand the footprint of their DC Comics universe with this exploration of the intersection between family life and being a superhero. As a younger man, Jefferson Pierce donned the suit of a vigilante and protected the streets of his city, but he believed he’d left those days in the past. He learns that life doesn’t always work out as planned when his daughter, Jennifer — a star student who is determined to achieve justice at any cost — gets recruited by a street gang. In order to protect his family, Jefferson sees no choice but to once again become Black Lightning.
Charmed (CW)
Mel and Maggie Vera suffer a shock when their mother dies suddenly, but before they have time to heal from their loss, another surprise shows up on their doorstep in the shape of an older sister — brilliant geneticist Macy — whom their mother never told them existed. The emotional stress takes its toll and the girls begin to exhibit impossible new abilities. An explanation comes from an unexpected place: the new chair of the women’s studies department. Harry Greenwood reveals that the three are powerful witches, and he is their whitelighter, there to advise and guide them as they battle dark forces.
Madam Secretary (CBS)
Having left her job as a CIA analyst for ethical reasons, newly appointed Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord returns to public life at the request of the president, after the suspicious death of her predecessor. Valued by her boss for her apolitical leanings, knowledge of the Middle East, language skills and creative thinking, Elizabeth drives international diplomacy, battles office politics and circumvents protocol, while negotiating national and international issues. At home, politics and compromise take on new meaning with her supportive husband and three bright kids.
SEAL Team (CBS)
Failure isn’t an option for the new Navy SEALs, and that kind of pressure can take a toll on the members of the special operations forces’ most elite unit. This team — which includes Jason, the group’s intense leader, and Ray, Jason’s longtime confidant, along with loyal soldier Sonny and SEAL hopeful Clay — trains, plans and executes some of the most dangerous, high-stakes missions and deploys for clandestine missions around the globe at a moment’s notice. While serving their country is a worthy and rewarding cause, it can put a strain on the SEALs and their families, causing the guys to look out for one another in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds, both on and off the job.
The Kids Are Alright (ABC)
Set in the 1970s, this ensemble comedy follows a traditional Irish-Catholic family, the Clearys, as it navigates big and small changes during one of America’s most turbulent decades. In a working-class neighborhood outside Los Angeles, Mike and Peggy raise eight boisterous boys who live out their days with little supervision in their three bedroom, one bathroom home. The household is turned upside down when oldest son Lawrence returns home and announces he’s quitting the seminary to go off and “save the world.”
black-ish (ABC)
Dre Johnson (Anthony Anderson) has it all – a great job, beautiful wife Rainbow (Tracee Ellis Ross), four kids and a big home in a classy neighbourhood – but as a black man, he begins to question whether all his success has brought too much cultural assimilation for his family. With the help of his father (special guest star Laurence Fishburne), Dre begins to try to create a sense of ethnic identity for the members of his family that will allow them to honour their background while preparing them to embrace the future.