With more than 38 TV pilots being actively considered for the Fall 2012 schedule, there are bound to be a few hits and misses. Considering that an estimated 13 pilots from last fall season have been renewed for a second, it seems that this year’s new shows must prove their worth quickly in order to escape the dreaded state of cancellation.
As far as the Fall 2012 Season, here are five shows that have great promise:
The Mindy Project -FOX
Fox has struck comedic gold with The Mindy Project, especially when you note that it will be airing after New Girl. Mindy Kaling’s presence on The Office launched her career and established her presence, and having her own show is the logical next step. Pairing her with the success of Zooey Deschanel and New Girl is nothing short of genius. The new Tuesday night comedy block is sure to be a great opportunity for FOX to stake their claim in the ratings game.
Revolution – NBC
This newest offering from Executive Producer J.J. Abrams is an ambitious undertaking for NBC. The premise for Revolution, that all electronic power ceases to work, is an intriguing concept, especially since we’re not entirely sure how we would be able to function if this actually happened. The trailer above does a great job of setting up the concept and establishes that it has great possibility to be around for more than a few seasons. The reality of the situation, including the fall of the government, grounds the show, while the mystery of why and how this has happened continues to intrigue the viewer to return.
The New Normal – NBC
Ryan Murphy’s evil plot to take over the world one network at a time seems to be working. Beginning with successful shows like Glee on FOX and American Horror Story on FX, he now moves on to conquer NBC with his new half hour sitcom The New Normal. Any great sitcom begins with a great cast, and when you start with actors as capable as Justin Bartha, Andrew Rannells, and Ellen Barkin, you can almost smell success emanating from the pilot.
Cult – CW
The newest offering from The CW begins with both an interesting premise and a brilliant decision. Making the decision to begin their cast from within and utilize the remarkable talents they already have, Cult has set itself up for success before the pilot even airs. One of the easiest ways to draw in an audience is to cast a familiar face, and no face is more familiar to CW viewers than that of The Vampire Diaries‘ Matt Davis. The premise is also an intriguing one since it is centered around something near and dear to all our hearts, the fandom.
The Following – FOX
As a new take on the crime drama, The Following shows that above anything else, a good crime series needs two things: a believable villain and a sympathetic cop. In this case, our villain has an entire network of accomplices that he has also taught, and our cop has connections to the villain that are bound to complicate things. James Purefoy and Kevin Bacon, cast as the villain and cop respectively, both bring a sense of gravitas to the material and may just breathe new life into an otherwise stale genre.
Be sure to check out our companion piece to this article, TV’s five least promising new shows for Fall 2012!