ABC hasn’t found a hit show since the writers strike of 2007-2008, which dealt a big blow to the network. In the last five years, many of the shows introduced on ABC did not live to see a third season. The new shows introduced at the time of the strike were disrupted and most were cancelled. Now that Desperate Housewives is gone, ABC will have to rely on the untested once again. Below are reviews of three more of its new shows.

Malibu Country

In Malibu Country, Reba McEntire returns to television for the first time since Reba went off the air. This time she stars as Reba Gallagher, a country singer who moves to Malibu with her family after she discovers her husband cheated on her. The trailer had some funny moments and some sentimental ones. It left me wanting Gallagher to succeed. There was great chemistry between Gallagher and her mother, who is played by Lily Tomlin. The rapport for these characters, as well as Gallagher’s kids, seems to work. Gallagher also realizes that her heartbreak can provide great inspiration for a resurgence of her singing career. I don’t know if this show will be hilarious, but it will probably be enjoyable.

Last Resort

Last Resort is a drama centering around a nuclear submarine crew that becomes a group a fugitives after their commander disobeys an order from the government. The crew then finds themselves on the island of Sainte Marina and declares itself an independent nuclear nation.

Andre Braugher plays Capt. Marcus Champlain, whose intense emotion really made the trailer exciting. This show seems like has a lot to explore and will focus both on the struggle of the crew organizing an independent nation and the efforts to clear their names and return home.

One problem the show might run into is that the catalyst for the show’s drama can be attributed to one very specific event. It might be difficult for the show to sustain itself. The crew being on the island and trying to clear their names for years to come may get repetitive. New plots will probably arise, but the trailer did not make it clear what those would be. I don’t know how long Last Resort will last. It will probably be both a critical and ratings success from the start, but that may be short lived.

666 Park Anenue

666 Park Avenue is about a couple who moves into a Manhattan apartment complex. The twist is that they discover that the complex and its tenants may be possessed by a demonic force. The show seems very weird and confusing. The drama was not overly exciting.

The beginning of the trailer is misleading. It makes the show seem like a light-hearted drama, which considering the premise it is probably not. Eventually, the trailer reveals that the building manager was responsible for plaguing of demonic spirits, but it does hint at where that could lead. There are no clues as to whether the show is going to have story arcs or standalone episodes. Also, the actors didn’t seem to play their characters well and watching characters trying to escape the demonic building may get repetitive.

Reflecting on ABC’s Fall Season

This upcoming season is going to be a tossup. Some of the shows will probably be moderately successful and others will bomb instantly. As I said in Part 1, The Neighbors is going to be terrible and will probably get cancelled within a few episodes. 666 Park Anenue also looks like it may not last long. It’s confusing and the drama isn’t interesting.

There are a lot of questions in my mind as to what shows will be successful, but Nashville is not one of them. It should last at least until the end of the season and will mostly likely will be renewed. Malibu Country looks good and I hope Reba’s return to television works out.

Last Resort was probably the most exciting trailer. I am not sure how long that excitement will last, but I want to find out. As I said in the previous article, this show is ABC’s best chance of finding the genuine hit it truly needs. With a solid cast, an interesting premise and characters you want to root for, this show has all the tools to succeed.

I don’t know exactly how well ABC’s new shows will do in the fall, but there is enough promise here to look forward to it.

To find out about NBC’s Fall Preview, check out these articles.

For Fox’s Fall season, look at these articles. 

You can also read about CBS’s Fall season.