If Season 6B of Pretty Little Liars kicked off with an unspoken ode to The Godfather: Part III, season 7, which premiered on Freeform June 21, is all How To Get Away With Murder. After flashing forward a few days into the future, we’re greeted by shrieks of panic from Spencer (Troian Bellisario), Emily (Shay Mitchell) and Aria (Lucy Hale), as they frantically plow their shovels into the ground of a dimly lit woods. Sound familiar?
In many ways, Casual, which returns to Hulu for its second season June 7, is the quintessential modern television show. It’s a comedy void of any real punchlines, straddling genre in a manner that’s sure to baffle Emmy voters. Its talented cast makes the most of characters that are boldly unlikeable without any real reason to be. And, it celebrates its distance from the traditional network model with all the swearing and foursomes one has come to expect from streaming television. While these factors made Casual a challenge to root for, a shift in focus allows the show to find its footing in season 2 without making any significant changes to its DNA.
In a post-Hunger Games world, Stitchers, which returns to Freeform for its second season on March 22, should be hitting the jackpot. With a mythology that is part CSI, part Minority Report, and a heroine that is prickly and beautiful, it seems as though the series has every piece it needs ride the wave that modern YA fiction created right into the hearts of Freeform’s engaged teen viewers. However, while the show might sound like a hit on paper, the result is a messy combination of plot points and a tone that talks down to its teen audience. There are plenty of examples of smart, mythology-heavy procedurals made for teens, unfortunately Stitchers just isn’t one of them.
From the first cord of Grease: Live, which aired last night on FOX, the powers that be behind the production seemed to be shouting: “Don’t worry! We listened to you!” With the inclusion of a live audience, source material that is iconic, yet still very digestible for a young, modern audience, and a refreshingly diverse cast, the special seemed to be getting ahead of the negative reviews that plagued its TV musical predecessors, The Sound Of Music Live! and Peter Pan Live! Unfortunately, despite Grease: Live’s stunning vocal performances and outstanding direction, lackluster performances from its lead players and a bland script left the special unable to truly set itself apart from the ever-growing crowd of modern TV musicals.
It’s hard to mention The Fosters, which returns to Freeform on Monday January 25th for the second installment of its third season, without a discussion of diversity. Since its premiere, the show has been lauded for its diverse cast and portrayal of relationships not often seen on television – particularly on teen TV – such as same-sex relationships and those in a mixed and blended family.
When a teen show takes on subject matter a shade darker than the average high school politics or love triangles, it can often be a recipe for disaster. Overacting and melodramatic music can plague even the best of shows, leaving teen audiences with a warped view of what it actually means to go through struggles such as the death of a loved one, or even addiction. Well, don’t judge Recovery Road, which premieres Monday January 25th on Freeform, by its synopsis. Yes, the series focuses on addiction, particularly the struggle of a party girl named Maddie, but it manages to save itself from becoming overtly cheesy or preachy by focusing on its protagonist and taking a more realist approach to the behavior of its teen players.
“Of Late I Think Of Rosewood," the premiere episode of the second half of Pretty Little Liars’ sixth season, doesn’t start with a quote from The Godfather: Part III, but it may as well have. After five, peaceful A-less years, Hanna (Ashley Benson), Spencer (Troian Bellisario), Emily (Shay Mitchell) and Aria (Lucy Hale) are dragged back to Rosewood by Alison (Sasha Pieterse), who seeks their help in getting Charlotte DiLaurentis (Vanessa Ray) – or A, the girls’ long-time tormentor – released from prison.
With the premiere episode of its sixth season, airing this Sunday on Showtime, Shameless returns true to form, as the Gallaghers behave badly enough to live up to the show’s title, without crossing the line that makes them completely unworthy of our love. Written by creator John Wells, “I Only Miss Her When I’m Breathing” picks up shortly after where the fifth season left off. It’s a busy start to the season, with each of the characters operating in their own world for most of the episode, and not much time spent at the Gallagher home.
While New Girl continues to churn out solid jokes, its new season suffers from repetitive plotlines and fails to capitalize on the chemistry of its talented cast.
