No Betting Considered

I just went through a series of short clips for the shows that NBC is adding to their schedule.  Mostly, they are not impressive and I doubt that they will help lift NBC.  But there are one or two exceptions.  Let's go to the videotape, as they used to say:

• Animal Practice: Hijinks at the Vet.  Well, my sister-in-law works at a veterinarian's office and I like the lead, Justin Kirk from Weeds, but this show just reeks of 1980's lame.
• Chicago Fire: A fire department series that cannot be as depressing as Rescue Me.  The one scene was pretty tense, and it is not a law/doctor/police show, so it has some potential.
• Do No Harm: Hospital series run apparently by Mrs. Cosby-Phylicia Rashad.  Meh.  I am tired of hospital shows, not sure what distinguishes this one, although I do like Ms. Rashad.
• Go On: Matthew Perry vehicle.  Group therapy with a sportscaster (Perry), so Sportsnight meets Newhart?  Could be good.  Depends on the group.
• Guys With Kids: Divorced guys with kids, it seems.  Meh.
• Infamous: A soap of some kind.  Perhaps Revenge knockoff.  Not interesting.
• New Normal: Gay couple and the woman they hire to have their kid.  The scene is fine, but is this a sitcom?  If so, not so much funny.
• Next Caller: Dane Cook as an obnoxious radio call-in show host. It could be ok.  Kind of a Dark Frasier.
• Revolution:  The Lost of this season--JJ Abrams show with a killer concept.  All modern power production ceases to work--batteries, electricity, engines, everything.  In nearly an instance (why the cars seem to lose power in sequence, I have no idea).  So, 15 years later, with governments fallen and militias rising to take their place, with the cities covered in foilage and so on, what happens?  Well, the things that intrigue me are swordplay (guns may work, but I guess there are ammo problems, so we have crossbows, bows and swords prominently featured) and Giancarlo Esposito (Gus Fring of Breaking Bad) as the bad guy, leading the relevant militia.  So, I will watch this one--much more interesting than the high concept shows of this season (Alcatraz, Grimm, etc.)
• Save Me: Anne Heche has a near death experience.  All I can think of is that the critics will ahve a field day with that.  Bleh.
• 1600 Penn: West Wing meets Kumar?  A sitcom based at the White House.  Amusing glimpse thus far, but not sure how sustainable and how non-annoying it might be.  But worth watching an episode or two.

I will follow the coverage by Alan Sepinwall, Daniel Feinberg and Tim Goodman to see what I missed or what more there is to these shows.  As it stands now, I might watch: Chicago Fire as I am a sucker for a fire dept show until it depresses me too much;  Go On, as I have fond memories of the old Newhart show; Revolution as the one show I am actually excited to see although I have no clue if it is good in the long run; and probably 1600 Penn.

I am no longer in the business of teaching large intro classes to undergrads so there is little need for pop culture references.  But I am a sucker for more TV.  Too bad NBC does not seem to be doing enough renovation.  The good thing is we have at least one more season of Community and Parks and Rec.