New Fall TV 2012 Previews

Superhero.  Drama.  Mystery.  Supernatural.  Horror.  I was among the audience at Comic-Con treated to a few TV pilot shows of the upcoming season.  Now that fall is around the corner, check out some interesting sneak peeks below.

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“Arrow” (CW) – Starring: Stephen Amell, Katie Cassidy

Fans of “Smallville” would be familiar with Oliver Queen, aka Green Arrow.  This new series takes the character and creates entirely new stories and supporting characters around him.  The pilot shows a powerful back story of the son of a late billionaire who is found and rescued from an island after five years of being presumed dead.  The unexpected turn of event that happens at sea gives him the will to survive.  And what happens to him during his years in the island has changed his life forever.  Back in the city, there’s unfinished business with a former flame (Cassidy) and a matriarch with a hidden agenda.

Amell has the look and capability to portray a privileged, prodigal son turned steely sharp-shooter and crime-fighter.  The exercise routine at the factory boasts some of the most impressive endurance and precision.  The way he threatens and pulls off a $40 million heist of a crooked tycoon is nothing short of brazen.

Admittedly, I had low expectations about the pilot.  I came out impressed.  There’s no ‘camp’ factor; it’s written and executed as a superhero drama, yet action-packed and entertaining.  This is one new show I will be looking forward to seeing in the fall!

“The Following” (Fox) – Starring: James Purefoy, Kevin Bacon

Purefoy is a former professional of literature, obsessed with beauty and death, and inspired by his favorite poets.  Bacon is a former FBI agent who happened to be at the scene during the stabbing of his last victim.  Even as the serial killer is convicted and behind bars, it doesn’t mean that his crimes stop.  It becomes a game between law enforcement and his followers.  You’d never know who, how or when his followers would strike.  It’s the show of the night that left the audience clapping when it ended.  Shockingly sadistic, it grips you and it’s not for the faint of heart (think “Criminal Minds” meets “CSI”).

“Revolution” (NBC) – Starring: Billy Burke, Giancarlo Eposito

From the promo: “Our entire way of life depends on electricity.  So what would happen if it just stopped working?  Well, one day, like a switch turned off, the world is suddenly thrusted back into the dark ages. Planes fall from the sky, hospitals shut down, and communication is impossible. And without any modern technology, who can tell us why?  Now, 15 years later, life is back to what it once was long before the industrial revolution.”

J.J. Abrams returns to the small screen with the most intriguing premise of the upcoming season.  Post-apocalypse, it shows that our modern society cannot handle living in the dark ages.  Governments fall and militia rises in their place.  It’s every man/woman for him/herself.  A broken family embarks on a journey to seek another member of the family who holds a secret to the last remnant source of power prior to the blackout.  The closing scene casts a flicker of hope.

I was most excited to see this pilot and found it to be mediocre.  Obviously, the concept is the draw, but aside from a tense situation or two, one involving a sword and the other a sword and arrow, the scenes plod along without much energy (no pun intended).  The novelty will wear off after a few episodes; hopefully “Revolution” could capture a wide-enough audience early on like “Lost.”  If not, it might bite the dust mid-season, like those recent high-concept, serialized sci-fi shows that came and had gone, “Flash Forward,” “The Event,” “Terra Nova.”

“666: Park Avenue” (ABC) – Starring: Terry O’ Quinn, Vanessa Williams, Rachel Taylor, Dave Annable

If you’re into drama/supernatural/horror shows, you may want to list “666 Park Avenue” on your roster.  While I missed the pilot, from the sneak preview, it tells a story about residents of an upscale Manhattan Upper East Side apartment.  They may think they’re living the dream by residing in this luxury high-rise, but little do they know that they may have unknowingly bargained their souls with the devils.  The real address is 999 Park Avenue, but with a play of light and shadow, the number reads “666.”  It’s a haunted house!

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There’s a reason why fall is my favorite season of the year…  To all TV fans out there, happy watching!

Copyright (c) 2012. Nathalia Aryani.

Nathalia Aryani is a business manager, foreign language translator, travel/lifestyle writer and film columnist. She can be reached at [email protected]. Nathalia owns a movies blog, The MovieMaven (http://sdmoviemaven.blogspot.com). Twitter: http://twitter.com/the_moviemaven