NBC has revealed trailers for a few of its fall series, including Blindspot, People Are Talking, The Player and Heartbreaker – and the result is an expectedly mixed bag. My first impressions of the trailers, below:
Out of everything that’s coming to the major networks this fall, Blindspot seems like one of the most promising. It boasts a highly capable cast in Jaime Alexander and Sullivan Stapleton, and the story is basically a TV blend of Memento and The Bourne Identity, which I’m entirely on board with. Unless the story is mind-numbingly stupid (of which there’s a disconcertingly high possibility), Blindspot could be the rare NBC thriller that actually draws eyeballs.
Unfortunately, I can’t say that I feel anything apart from irritation toward People Are Talking, simply because even though the trailer, true to this comedy’s title, features a lot of people talking (about sex, sex and more sex), I couldn’t care less about hearing what any of them have to say. It’s cringeworthy that NBC keeps trotting out these tired, old sitcoms in a post-Community, post-Parks and Recreation world.
Melissa George is an appealing lead in Heartbreaker, and the show seems to have a firm grip on what it wants to be, but whether it’s distinct enough to survive in a glut of medical dramas remains to be seen. The preview doesn’t really have anything new and exciting, and I’m not sure whether well-executed familiarity is what audiences crave (though I could be very wrong at that – look at how well CBS does every year with its veterans).
The Player looks like exactly the kind of show NBC needs to reinvigorate its fall lineup – fast-paced, slick and packed with action. Philip Winchester is one of two Strike Back stars on the Peacock Network’s lineup this fall (Sullivan Stapleton is over on Blindspot), but it’s hard to say which vehicle looks more promising. The Player has a Speed vibe to it, and with Wesley Snipes in a villainous role, the potential for a really fun and exciting hour of television seems high. I’ll definitely be checking this one out.
Out of everything, Blindspot and The Player seem like solid additions to the drama lineup, but Heartbreaker seems somewhat generic despite a strong-looking lead and People Are Talking just looks like straight-up trash.
