2018 Fall Television Shows

My Fall Television Review:

THIS IS US: This show has been so great, I was terrified. Remember when you thought Blacklist was terrific? And by Year #3, you forgot what night it was on....and the same thing is happening with Madame Secretary...ugh. I WAS WORRIED that the third season of This Is Us couldn't possibly live up to the first two seasons. And now that we know how Jack died and then William died from cancer...how can it maintain that same spectacular level?? BUT I NEEDN'T HAVE WORRIED. This show is so well-written, and the characters are so real...I love all of them, and it is still the #1 show on my playlist...

DANCING WITH THE STARS: Every year, when they announce the cast, I think I don't know any of these people -- so the show will suck. But they always manage to hook me during the first episode. And nobody I know realized Mary Lou Retton had knee just surgery SIX WEEKS before winning her Olympic Gold Medal..!! They make me care about the "stars"...and the dances are amazing. But, of course, without a doubt - the BEST thing about DWTS is the costumes. Honestly. Well done, people..

DANCING WITH THE STARS JUNIOR: I taped this show so Lilly could watch it. I had no real interest in watching Honey Boo Boo doing a Salsa. But -- hey -- every since Abby Lee Miller went to jail, I have been missing my Dance Moms fix. So it's good to see a few of her girls get jobs...

MANIFEST: So far, this show has great promise. Lilly loved the trailers -- and we watched the first two episodes together. There is an element of who-done-it, and every week something unexpected happens. Fingers crossed...

A MILLION LITTLE THINGS: This show is a Category 5 Disappointment. Ron Livingston plays the part of John -- a successful businessman who has a beautiful wife, two lovely children, and three best friends who all have NHL season tickets. In the first five minutes, this handsome man commits suicide by jumping off the balcony of his ritzy office. And, here's the thing -- at that exact moment -- one of those good buddies is ALSO about to commit suicide by swallowing a bunch of pills. When he gets the phone call telling him John killed himself, he spits out the pills...

Obviously, this show is trying to clone the THIS IS US formula...except they completely left out the part where you CARE ABOUT THE CHARACTERS.

GREY'S ANATOMY:   I am a big fan of medical shows...The old ER of the 90's was one of my favorites, and Nurse Jackie was the first show I ever binge watched. I even miss "House".  Grey's was good for a long time...then, Meredith Grey came back from the dead (several times), there was an unbelievable plane crash, the doctors had to BUY the hospital because it wasn't making enough money,  Amelia recovered from a life-threatening brain tumor with no ill effects...I'm just saying that at some point, I cannot maintain my sense of suspended reality. (and I have HUGE SKILLS HERE, PEOPLE)...And -- oh -- did I forget to mention the storyline where a DOCTOR gives up being a doctor to become a FIREFIGHTER?? So -- you can see my problem, right?

NEW AMSTERDAM.  Anyway, I was looking forward to a new Medical Show set in New York City. But, whereas Grey's Anatomy requires a lot of suspended reality --  New Amsterdam is so far out there, it cannot be considered a medical show at all -- but, rather, SCIENCE FICTION. A current day hospital where the new top guy tells everybody the only thing they should care about is PATIENT CARE -- not the bottom line.  And forget about the insurance companies...But, hey -- if you're a fan of Star Trek -- you might give it a try.